ARMED FORCES COVENANT SIGNED ON 80th ANNIVERSARY OF VICTORY IN EUROPE DAY

Story and photographs by Andrew P.M. Wright,

Swanage Railway official photographer and press officer.

An Armed Forces Covenant has been signed by representatives from the Swanage Railway, Swanage Town Council and the Royal Corps of Signals at Blandford Forum in Dorset on the 80^th anniversary of Victory in Europe (V.E.) Day.

The special tripartite ceremony took place on Swanage station on Thursday, 8 May, 2025, and involved signatories Swanage Railway Company chair Gavin Johns, the Mayor of Swanage Tina Foster and Major Grant Powell.

Hosting the special event was Swanage Railway Trust chair Frank Roberts – a former member of the Royal Corps of Signals – who has been a dedicated volunteer on the Isle of Purbeck heritage line for more than 40 years.

Frank explained: “The Armed Forces Covenant was created in 2022 and is a promise that signatories acknowledge and commit to that those people who serve, or have served, in the armed forces, their families, and the bereaved, should be treated with fairness and respect in their communities.

“The Covenant’s first principle is that - recognising the unique obligations of, and sacrifices made by, the armed forces - those who serve in the armed forces, whether regular or reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should not experience disadvantage compared to other people in the provision of public and commercial services.

“The Covenant’s second principle is that special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those people who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.

“The Covenant focuses on helping members of the armed forces community have the same access to Government and commercial services and products as any other citizen. This support is provided in healthcare,  education and childcare, housing and accommodation, employment and financial services,” explained Frank.

The Armed Forces Covenant has been implemented by a wide range of organisations, including the United Kingdom and devolved administrations, the Army, Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, business and commerce as well as local government, the National Health Service, schools and charities.

Frank explained: “Members of the armed forces community bring a wealth of transferable skills and experiences to employers across the United Kingdom.

“With more than 12,400 organisations having signed Covenant pledges, now more than ever, employers across the United Kingdom are recognising that becoming an armed forces-friendly employer is a smart business decision.

The Royal Corps of Signals has been associated with the Swanage Railway for more than 40 years with the Corps being given the freedom of Swanage in 2005.

Between 1984 and 2017, a total of 5,000 servicemen and women from the Royal Corps of Signals have taken part in 65 exercises on the Swanage Railway, as the heritage line has developed, with the troops also helping the wider community in Swanage.

The Royal Corps of Signals carried out its first exercise on the Swanage Railway during 1984 when the fledgling heritage line had only been running trains for five years.

In 1984, its soldiers installed lineside telephone poles and cables between Swanage station and the one-mile mark at the newly-built Herston Halt which was then the limit of the Swanage Railway's steam train operations.

As the Swanage Railway has steadily extended its track and train operations – to the three mile point at Harman's Cross in 1988 and the five mile point to Corfe Castle and Norden in 1995 – so have members of the Royal Corps of Signals carried out exercises to install lineside telephone poles, phone lines and telephone exchanges.

Present and past members of the Royal Corps of Signals have also helped the town of Swanage through the Mercury Group.

The Group has assisted with the upkeep of the town's war memorial, helped the Swanage branch of the Royal British Legion as well as raising money for military and community charities and good causes.

Anyone interested in finding out more about volunteering should contact the Swanage Railway volunteer recruitment and retention officer Lisa Gravett on 01929 475212 or email [email protected]. Details about volunteering can also be found at swanagerailwaytrust.org/volunteering.