Earlier this year, Mr. Ian Dudson, CBE, KStJ, the Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire, presented Mike Colton, the founder and driving force behind the Allied Special Forces Memorial Grove at the National Memorial Arboretum, with the prestigious King’s award for Voluntary Services.
In a comparatively rare moment in the history of those who have been members of the Association, the award was made by King Charles III in the first tranche of such awards made in his reign.
Mike Colton served with the Royal Green Jackets (RGJ) from 1967 and with 22 SAS from 1973 to 1979. He undertook two tours in Dhofar with the BATT during the Dhofar Rebellion and subsequently both helped to form and to serve with the Sultan’s Special Forces Regiment.
With a significant degree of difficulty, he and a former colleague from the RGJ acquired an area of wasteland at the newly-designated National Memorial Arboretum in 2003. For over 21 years, with help from a small number of volunteers, he has worked to transform the area of some three acres into the renowned Allied Special Forces Memorial Grove.
The result has been a most impressive, tranquil and moving Grove containing memorials, plaques and a variety of other tributes to acts of individual bravery demonstrated by many of those in the special forces community and by those who provided support on critical occasions.
Located in a quiet and suitably reflective area adjacent to the River Tame, the Grove has become a prime ‘must-visit’ part of the National Memorial Arboretum and attracts a steady flow of visitors from all parts of the UK and from a number of countries abroad.
The Grove has a superbly informative website and has been financed through donations from a number of friends and also by members of the public. Mike’s recent award reflects the absolute dedication, substantial effort and innovative design invested in the Grove for many years and the Association has great pleasure in congratulating Mike on this most deserving acknowledgement of an outstanding contribution to voluntary services within the Country.
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