EPS Pipe Band trip to Europe in 2004

Europe 2004

Edmonton Police Service Pipes and Drums K Days 1999

In June 2004, the band was once again invited back to Normandy, this time to participate in the 60^th anniversary ceremonies of D-Day. The band’s trip included a performance for Lady Patricia, the Countess Mountbatten of Burma, Colonel in Chief of the PPCLI at Chelsea Veterans Hospital in London, a Beat the Retreat Ceremony with the Royal Marines Band and Royal Navy Veterans in Portsmouth with His Royal Highness Prince Charles as reviewing officer and a later meeting with HRH at a reception.

The band then traveled to Normandy where they performed on the beaches of Normandy, the Juno Beach Centre, and several communities liberated by Allied forces in 1944. Members toured Dieppe, the site of a failed 1942 invasion attempt by Canadian troops, before moving on to Ypres, Belgium. Here, the band performed a memorial service at the New Passchendale Cemetery at the grave of Alex Decoteau, a member of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment and former member of the Edmonton Police Department who was killed in action during WW I in 1917.

To see more photos from the trip, please scroll down.

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At the Chelsea Veteran's Hospital in London with Countess Montbatten of Burma (Lady Patricia - Colonel in Chief of the P.P.C.L.I)	D/Chief Mike Bradshaw and Pipe Major James McKee receiving a plaque from the Brigadier General at the Chelsea Veteran's Hospital	D/Chief Bradshaw with Lady Patricia at the Chelsea Veteran's Hospital	Band members with Lady Patricia and her grandson	Band NCO's at Chelsea Veteran's Hospital, London	Band members marching to the Black Swan Pub in London

Playing at The Black Swan pub in London	Band in front of Maple Leaf Club in London	Marching through the streets of London town	British veterans from the Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (S.H.A.E.F.) who reported directly to General Eisenhauer in 1944 and band members on steps of Queen's Hotel in Portsmouth		Senior band members meeting the Duke of Gloucester in Portsmouth

Meeting Prince Charles at reception in Portsmouth, England	Meeting Prince Charles at reception in Portsmouth, England	Meeting Prince Charles at reception in Portsmouth, England	Meeting Prince Charles at reception in Portsmouth, England	Playing for the veterans and public at the D Day Celebrations in Portsmouth, England	Posing in front of Southsea Castle in Portsmouth, England

Members of the Chelsea Pensioners with Band members in Portsmouth	View of Veterans and crowd at Portsmouth	Band posing with fans in Portsmouth	Chatting with fans in Portsmouth, England	Chatting with fans in Portsmouth, England	Chatting with fans in Portsmouth, England

Chatting with fans in Portsmouth, England	Playing in a pub in Portsmouth	Starting our ferry ride from Portsmouth, England to Caen, France	Playing in the L'Harp D'Or (Golden Harp) Pub in Alencon, France	Band playing for veterans and crowds at the Juno Beach D Day Celebrations.	Group photo on Juno Beach, Normandy, France on June 4th, 2004

Spitfire and Lancaster flying over Juno Beach during the 60th Anniversary of D Day Celebrations	Canadian Juno Beach Centre in Courselle Sur Mer, Normandy, France	The large, bronze, memorial sculpture, ‘Remembrance and Renewal’, was created by Colin Gibson from Flesherton, Ontario.	Mr. Gino Falconi, musical organizer for D Day, posing at the Juno Beach Centre	Calgary Police Chief Jack Beaton and D/Chief Bradshaw at Juno Beach	Mayor of Troarn, France, addressing the veterans and crowd

Photo in front of the memorial to the infants of Troarn killed in World War I	Friends in Sannerville, France	Marching through the streets of Sannerville followed by local school children	Marching through the streets of Sannerville followed by local school children	Drummers with local school children in Sannerville	Band photo being taken in Tilley after performance

Drummer giving lesson to kids in Tilley, France	Presentation of Band plaque to our hosts in Tilley	Canadian WWII Cemetary at Beny Sur Mere	Beach at Dieppe where Canadian troops landed in 1942	Evening photo of town square in Ypres, Belgium (Flanders Fields)	Band photo taken at Passchendale grave of WWI Veteran and Edmonton Police Sgt. Alex Decoteau

Gravestone of Sgt. Alex Decoteau, Edmonton Police Department	Pipe Major McKee playing at Passchendale Cemetery in Flanders Fields	Band members looking at gravestones at Tyne Cot Cemetery in Flanders Fields	Marching through the town square in Ypres, Belgium	Taking a break in Novotel Ypres Centre Hotel pub	Sharing "war" stories at the Old Bill Pub in Ypres, Belgium with British veterans

Playing inside the Menin Gate in Ypres	Marching through the Menin Gate in Ypres	Pipe Major McKee with local fire fighters playing last post in Menin Gate	Pipe Major McKee with local fire fighters playing last post in Menin Gate	Playing in the town square in Ypres, Belgium	Playing in the town square in Ypres, Belgium

Playing in the town square in Ypres, Belgium	Flagbearers at the Menin Gate Last Post	Sharing a drink with veterans in the Old Bill Pub in Ypres	Band members with Canadian WWII Veterans in Novotel Ypres Centre Hotel	Poppies growing in Commonwealth Cemetery in Flanders Fields, Belgium	Band Drummer Dale Coble chatting with British Airborne Veteran Allen McKell

Allen McKell (on right) and his friend of 60 years, Clem. They served with the British 3rd Parachute Brigade, 6th Airborne Division in WWII	Allen & Clem riding down memory lane in a WWII Jeep	Allen and his family were so impressed with our performance in 2003, they pledged a 1,000 Euros to our band fund in 2004. The band's unanimous consensus was to establish the "McKell Fund" in his honour.	Sadly, Allen passed away on September 26, 2004. He will be missed by his friends in the band.

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