The King's Royal Rifle Corps Association

In 1906 Corporal Clemens, late of the King's Royal Rifles, but employed at the Law Courts in London, conceived the idea of forming a Veterans' Association among past men of the King's Royal Rifles. Believing that it could be made to bear fruit he addressed a letter on the subject to General Sir Redvers Buller, VC, GCB, GCMG, who thought so well of it that he wrote to Major Riley, as Secretary of the Riflemen's Aid Association, and discussed the matter. The idea was well received, and Colonel Herbert, commanding the Rifle Depot at Winchester, being called in for consultation, took the matter up with that energy for which he was well known, especially where Riflemen were concerned, and, together with Corporal Clemens, formed the Association.

The Inaugural Dinner was duly held on February 28th, 1907, Ladysmith Day, and was a highly successful affair. It was held, by kind permission of Colonel Ococks, in the spacious drill hall of the headquarters of the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the King's Royal Rifles, better known, perhaps, as the Victoria and St. George's Rifles, 56, Davies Street, Berkeley Square, London. Three hundred and sixty veterans of the 60th Rifles sat down together under the happiest conditions and under the genial presidency of Sir Redvers Buller.

Around the hall there were reminders on every hand of the glory of our famous Regiment. The date 1755 reminded us that it was on Christmas Day of that year the Regiment was brought into being. The dinner was preceded by a levee, at which Sir Redvers Buller had every man attending the dinner presented to him. Buller was adored by his Riflemen, both as a soldier and a man, and when shortly after seven o'clock he entered the hall accompanied by fellow officers to the strains of the Regimental March, they were drowned in the tornado of cheering with which the popular hero and the highly respected officers who accompanied him were received.

That idea of Corporal Clemens, so readily accepted by all concerned has stood the test of time with branches being formed in Brighton, Derby, Hampshire, Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire, East London, Manchester, Nottingham and Birmingham to name just a few. Two World Wars and all the heartache endured by so many did not diminish the appetite for ex Riflemen to join their Association.