The Western Desert Recce Group (WDRG) in High Blantyre are looking for more volunteers to join their amazing group.
The group is a small Charity which provides interesting, exciting opportunities for volunteers to work on restoring WW1 and WW2 military vehicles. What a wonderful hobby for anybody!
Organiser Gary Wallace, (Retired Major), told us, “We’ve had a few inquiries from Local Blantyre, and surrounding areas, people who have come along and seem impressed at what we do. Some attend when they can, Covid rules permitting, and get stuck in. Some guys are mechanically minded and others have skills that support our work, IT, Parts acquisition etc. “
Our next stage is to plan for the reopening and operation of the charity on a wider scale -once we are allowed out and about again – to get our vehicles on local community events and fund-raising drives to help not only our veterans but other military charities, such as Poppy Scotland and Army Benevolent Fund, Erskine Hospital etc.
People who have come along are not all ex-military and we welcome others who are interested not just veterans. For our next stage we also plan to start up a scale modelling group, with focus on the desert wars of WW1 and WW2. – maybe even a local Cadet or youth group might help with this.
Likewise, we plan to start a local history group concentrating on the Home Front and especially the Anti-Aircraft and searchlight positions, that were based around Glasgow in the Blantyre and surrounding area. These were part of the ‘ring of fire’ that went all the way round Glasgow to protect the city and the shipyards etc.
The aim of this is to put up a permanent display of information and perhaps artefacts and regular events to raise awareness of the important role they had to play during WW2.
Finally, apart from the restorers of the future, we are looking for someone who would be willing to assist, or take over, our fund-raising efforts and perhaps head up local efforts and help us raise funds to keep us going the way we are and to further develop in future.
Anyone with ideas, drive, experience of raising funds for worthy causes welcome as are any future prospective people who want to get involved in a local venture and exciting project, with the bonus of working on, and driving, period vehicles.
Gary WallaceMajor (Retd)ChairWestern Desert Recce Group
Gary@wdrg.org or garyawallace@aol.com
WDRG, Unit 1 Block 3, Third Road, Blantyre Ind. Estate, Blantyre G72 0UP – presently only meeting Thursday 6-9pm and Saturdays 10-4
