Ely’s Air Cadet Squadron have spent Sunday morning tending to the RAFA Memorial Rose Garden in the grounds of the former RAF Ely Hospital which later became the Princess of Wales NHS Hospital.
In close collaboration with the Hospital Management Team and the Ely Branch of the RAF Association Charity the Squadron has committed to looking after this memorial to ex-service men and women as part of the cadets Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme voluntary work section.
The Squadron first agreed to look after the garden back in early 2019 but with a lockdown enforced temporary cessation of all face to face cadet activity Ely’s Cadets were unable to make good on their promise.
Now with the cadets returning to normal cadet activities the cadets spent the morning clearing the leaves and weeds and twigs.
Staff Cadet Flight Sergeant Soairse Mcneil led the work detail of five Ely Squadron cadets including Corporal Elcombe, Leading Cadet Earl-Clarke, Leading Cadet Poli and one of our new Recruits Cadet Bain.
Flight Sergeant McNeil is our Squadron’s lead on the National Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s project for young people to research their local CWGC War Graves.
Not all CWGC Graves are in large CWGC maintained cemeteries and the cadets found some individual war graves in small Church yard cemeteries Ely squadrons cadets.
Where the graves needed weeding or the grass trimming the cadets individually and with the support of their parents approached the Church wardens of the cemeteries concerned and permission was granted for them to assist the church in keeping an eye on a small number of the war graves who had no living relatives to tend to them in the church graveyards of Ely and the surrounding villages.
From 1094 Ely Squadron Royal Air Force Air Cadets
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