Local Historian, Mary Sinclair Powell, was on hand last week when brothers David and Tom Lyall of the Royal Hospital Chelsea made an overnight visit to Ross-on-Wye.

They were in Ross on a low key visit as part of the Royal Hospital Chelsea (RHC) Heritage Team with John Rochester and Martin Cawthorne, who are digitising as many of the historic RHC documents in the collection to preserve and conserve the history for future generations and in-Pensioners to refer to.

The team have been working for a great many months on the links between Ross-on-Wye and the RHC, when the hospital in-Pensioners and staff were evacuated to Rudhall Manor and Moraston House during World War II.

On David and Tom’s arrival on Tuesday, September 13th, they were guests at Rudhall Manor, where they were invited to have a good look around and explore to see where the in-Pensioners stayed. They compared the modern day layout with plans from the evacuation archives.

Following lunch, the gentlemen travelled to St Bridget’s Church in Bridstow to meet up with Mary for a visit to the Chelsea Pensioners Memorial in the churchyard.

David and Tom were able to pay their respects to fellow in-Pensioners of the 1940s who were buried there at that time.

There is a large imposing memorial stone, commissioned by the RHC, mentioning the names of those who died whilst in residence at Moraston House at that time.

An afternoon tea was provided by Judy at the White House, where they were staying for the night, and the gentlemen then spent the evening chatting to local people over supper at the Hope and Anchor.

Following breakfast the next morning, everyone met up in the churchyard at St Mary’s Ross-on-Wye to visit the Chelsea Pensioners Memorial. Graham Aplin, Chairman of Ross Royal British Legion, joined the party for a conducted historic tour from Mary.

Although this was a private visit, David and Tom are members of the RBL and had expressed an interest in meeting with Graham as well as Mary.

Graham told David and Tom that each year, the Ross RBL lays a commemorative wreath for the Chelsea Pensioners on the Thursday before Remembrance Sunday, as well as one for the Korean War Veteran’s on their Memorial in the Prospect.

Having paid their respects at all the memorials, the in-Pensioners then made their way to the Royal Hotel for coffee, before departing for Cheltenham.

Although they were born in London the brothers do have a local connection; they were evacuated to Gloucestershire with their parents during WWII and stayed there after the war ended. They have a younger brother who was born near Cheltenham.

Mary Sinclair Powell told the Ross Gazette: “It was a very interesting couple of days all round for all concerned – with plenty to be learned on both sides.”

The RHC team expressed great interest in returning to the area as the people of Ross-on-Wye made them so welcome. Parting gifts were exchanged, with Mary receiving a WWII History of the RHC and the gentlemen receiving local souvenirs.

David and Tom have made history in their own right as in-Pensioners at Chelsea. They were the first brothers in living memory to apply to become in-Pensioners and be successful, as well as being the first National Servicemen to do so. Tom commented that their younger brother visits them quite often, and always asks if he can stay to eat with them as he loves the food.

Ross-on-Wye RBL hope to be able to take up the invitation to visit the RHC in the near future.