36th Heavy Air Defence Regiment     |   home                      Farewell Parade 2 This article appeared in the Southend Evening Echo on the 1st July 1971 Missile men go out with a big bang! It's not often people get a warning before they hear Tchaikowsky's 1812 Overture, but the audience at a Regiment's Farewell ceremony did. For the famous cannon booms in the masterpiece were the real thing. They came from mortars and a 13cwt Chinese Dragon gun in the Royal Artillery Band concert. Young children and the not so young people in the audience were warned the bangs would be loud. It was the Farewell to Shoebury of 36 Heavy Air Defence Regiment. And in the special service to mark their departure there was only one thing missing, the Organist. Alan Piper, Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and Organist at the Garrison Church for 20 years was sitting at his Westcliff home waiting for transport. But it finally arrived at the blind Organists home and getting him to the church minutes before the service started. Assistant Adjutant Brian Wheelwright explained that there was a mix up over the time of the Organists transport, but we sent a staff car round and got him there on time. The Regiment are leaving Shoebury for Germany in July after serving at Old Ranges in various forms since the Second World War. They are unlikely to be replaced because of the Foulness Airport project. This means the 36 Farewell severes a 160 year link with the Old Ranges area and the military. Lt Col Shrapnel first set up his famous shell testing unit there in 1805. Another last minute arrival yesterday was the Regiment's own pin up girl -- Miss Thunderbird. Miss Sally-Anne Sorrell, 19, of Alma Close, Hadleigh was selected for the post at a beauty contest last year. Miss Sorrell a former art student now works as an assistant architect in London. "But I am not thinking of handing my notice in as Miss Thunderbird" she added. In the farewell service Lt Charles Kenyon carried the 14 foot Standard from the church with due pomp and ceremony, but when he made the church door exit he hit a problem. The flag got well caught in a tree and he had to slip it over his shoulder to free it.