On Thursday 18 May 2023 His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh joined Marquis and Marchioness of Bath, The Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire and a number of representatives and friends of the 43rd Wessex Heritage Trust for a service at the Longleat Estate, to rededicate the 43rd Wessex Division Arboretum and Memorial Plaque. Responsibility for the Trust has now been formally handed over to Army Headquarters South West.
The memorial plaque and arboretum was established on the Longleat estate In 1999 in memory of the 43 Wessex Division, those who served under the
badge of the Wyvern, and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the Second World War.
Work has recently been carried out to return the arboretum to its full complement of 43 trees, after weather and disease had meant that some trees had died in the years since the arboretum was first established. At the end of the service The Duke of Edinburgh planted the 43rd tree, a tree which had been grown from the acorn of the Estates ‘Great Oak’, planted by King George III on a visit in 1749.
Mrs Sarah Troughton, Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire said; ‘The re-dedication of the 43rd Wessex Division Arboretum and Memorial by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and colleagues was a special occasion indeed and my sincere thanks to The Marquis and Marchioness of Bath for hosting us all at Longleat House.’
‘In assuming the responsibility of the memory of 43 Wessex Division, I am aware of the responsibility and legacy we have been given,’ said Commander of HQ South West, Colonel Gary McDade.
‘I can assure you we will do everything to keep the 43 Wessex Division flame alive.’
After the ceremony, long-standing supporters of the Armed Forces community, Lord and Lady Bath, resigned the Armed Forces Covenant, to reaffirm Longleat’s ongoing commitment to the Defence community.
Lord Bath said; ‘Huge thanks to the Wessex RFCA, who very importantly bring civil and military organisations together. We are delighted to be resigning the covenant today.’
The Covenant is a promise by the nation that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, should be treated fairly and should not face disadvantages when seeking to access public or private goods and services in the UK.
The Covenant is a voluntary pledge. Organisations may choose to sign up in order to demonstrate their support for the Armed Forces Community and for the principles of the Covenant. All organisations – public, private or voluntary and small, medium or large – are welcome to sign the Covenant.
