Armed Forces Day

/

Today, the 24th June 2023, is Armed Forces Day in the United Kingdom, where the public are encouraged to show support for our Armed Forces and to recognise the work they do and the sacrifices they make. 

The military is extremely close to our hearts at Westacre Security, and we employ a high number of serving reservists and ex-military personnel. All of our senior staff have previously served in The Armed Forces, so we fully understand the difficulties faced by our military personnel who do an exceptionally tough job, and we will continue to maintain these close ties with the UK Armed Forces in the future. 

We have supported a range of military charities over the last few years, with many of our personnel volunteering to support events, or organising endurance challenges, rugby games and other fundraising activities. We are a member of the Armed Forces Covenant and current holders of a Silver Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme. 

Reserves Day

/

Today is Reserves Day, which forms part of Armed Forces Week leading up to Armed Forces Day this Saturday 24th June 2023. Reserves day is intended to raise awareness and show recognition for the work of our reservists who balance a civilian life with service in the Army, RAF and Navy. 

Reservists give up their spare time to serve in the Reserve Forces to ensure that should their country require them, they would be ready to serve as part of the military. Over the last 20 years, over 35,000 reservists have served on operations worldwide, making an immense contribution. 

The Reserve Forces make up approximately one sixth of our Armed Forces personnel and as such are integral to protecting the nation’s security at home and overseas, particularly providing capability in specialist areas such as medical and cyber. 

Westacre Security recruit the majority of our personnel from within the Armed Forces community, with both ex-regular and serving reservist personnel accounting for over 90% of our staff. 

Alarm Systems

/

Alarms have come a long way since Augustus Russell Pope, an American inventor, first patented his electromagnetic alarm system in 1853. Towards the latter part of the 20th century, it became commonplace for most homes to have an alarm fitted, but more recently the technology has progressed significantly, with the latest alarms having a host of innovative capabilities.

Intruders are increasingly targeting properties with basic alarms (simple sensors and a bell-box), knowing they can be in and out in less than 40 seconds and thus ensuring it is very unlikely that anyone will respond within that timeframe. Much like car alarms, the sound of a house alarm going off usually attracts annoyance from bystanders or neighbours rather than actual suspicion that a burglary may be taking place - this culture was generally created by the vast amount of ‘false alarms’ which are regularly heard. Bearing this in mind, it’s no longer good enough to have a simple alarm system, you are far better investing in a fully integrated smart alarm system to keep intruders at bay - aside from the increased functionality for the user, they are a far greater deterrent to criminals who would be inclined to avoid a property with a modern alarm system.

Westacre Security have vast experience in installing, commissioning and maintaining alarm systems for a range of private and commercial clients. Regardless of the size of the property, there is a cost-effective solution which will ensure an alarm is an integral part of your security plan. Click on the image below to download our Alarm Systems brochure.

King Charles III

/

King Charles III, formerly known as The Prince of Wales, became King on the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022. King Charles III's coronation will take place on Saturday 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey in London. During the ceremony, the King will be crowned alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort.

The King previous served in the UK Armed Forces in the 70’s, mostly in the Royal Navy. On 8 March 1971 The Prince flew himself to Royal Air Force (RAF) Cranwell in Lincolnshire, to train as a jet pilot. At his own request, The Prince had received flying instruction from the RAF during his second year at Cambridge. In September 1971 after the passing out parade at Cranwell, The Prince embarked on a naval career, following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and both his great-grandfathers. The six-week course at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, was followed by service on the guided missile destroyer HMS Norfolk and two frigates. The Prince qualified as a helicopter pilot in 1974 before joining 845 Naval Air Squadron, which operated from the Commando carrier HMS Hermes. On 9 February 1976, The Prince took command of the coastal minehunter HMS Bronington for his last nine months in the Navy.

His Majesty The King is a strong supporter of the Armed Services and saw them as one of the most important parts of his role as Heir to The Throne. The Prince of Wales’s relationship with the Armed Services consisted of three main activities:

  • Promoting the role of the Armed Services within national life, through operational visits, ceremonial duties, and commemorative activity across the UK and around the world.

  • Supporting the welfare and interests of Service personnel, Veterans, and their families.

  • Maintaining the history and heritage of the Armed Services through links with Regiments, Units and Formations both in the U.K. and around the Commonwealth.

Security Solutions

/

A common question you hear being discussed within the security industry is whether a generalist security solutions provider can provide an effective single security package for a client or whether that client is better protected by utilising individual people or companies to provide each aspect of their security requirements?

Whilst there are certain circumstances where a very specific requirement might demand a very specific capability, it is usually the case that a client will require more than one single capability in order to provide them with a satisfactory level of protection. Often the issue here is that the client will come to the security company and tell them the solution they require, rather than telling them their problem and allowing the security company to dissect the problem, look at the threat and produce an effective security solutions proposal.

Perhaps one of the problems is terminology. A security company should only really be categorised as ‘generalist’ if they provide the full range of security capabilities themselves - in this case it would be impossible to maintain a high level of skills, qualifications and experience across every single aspect of the industry. Instead, there is some middle ground between the two models (generalist and specific) which is where you will find most of the high-end boutique private security companies operating. These companies incorporate ‘subject matter experts’ for the more intricate security capabilities alongside their own highly experienced consultants.

Utilising an expert security consultant to oversee and manage a wide range of security capabilities carries far less risk than allowing those capabilities to be delivered without any sort of synergy or control - they will be more effective when delivered as a package and there is less chance of missing a particular part of the threat. That consultant will have a comprehensive knowledge of the threat and will be able to utilise the most appropriate capabilities, some of which will need to be incorporated into the project from an external provider.

At Westacre Security, we would never class ourselves as a generalist security company. We utilise an extensive network of specialists who are all from elite backgrounds and very much at the pinnacle of their own individual trade. Using these specialists alongside our experienced full time staff and consultants enables us to provide a superlative service for our clients.

Her Majesty The Queen

/

It was with great sadness that all at Westacre Security learned of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen was a role model for many of us, and those who served in the Armed Forces will have sworn an Oath of Allegiance to Her Majesty.

As Sovereign, The Queen was Head of the Armed Forces, as well as being the wife, mother and grandmother of individuals who served in the Forces. Throughout her reign, she remained a committed and informed champion of the Army, Navy and Air Force, with a great empathy for the challenges faced by the Forces community.

Early military associations

The Queen's relationship with the Armed Forces began when, as Princess Elizabeth, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) in 1945, becoming the first female member of the Royal Family to join the Armed Services as a full-time active member.

During her time in the ATS, the Princess learnt to drive and to maintain vehicles.

Her Majesty’s first military appointment was on 21 April 1947, her 21st birthday, when The Queen, then Princess Elizabeth of York, was appointed Colonel in Chief of the Balaklava Company, 5thBattalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

The Duke of Edinburgh was a serving naval officer when he married Princess Elizabeth in 1947, having seen action in the Second World War. Between 1949 and 1951, His Royal Highness was stationed in Malta as second in command of HMS Chequers, operating with the Mediterranean fleet, so for a brief period before her Accession, Her Majesty lived privately as a naval wife.

Working life as Head of the Armed Forces

The Queen held over fifty ranks and appointments in the UK and Commonwealth Armed Service and much of her working life was taken up with visits to military bases and ships in the UK and overseas, meeting serving members of the Armed Forces and their families.

Her Majesty often marked special anniversaries or events in a regiment's history by presenting the unit with new regimental flags, or 'Colours', in a formal ceremony. She also regularly attended The Sovereign's Parade to mark the passing out from Sandhurst of Officer Cadets who had completed their Commissioning Course.

The Queen supported veterans of the Armed Forces through her many patronages which included the Royal British Legion, the Union Jack Club, and the Not Forgotten Association, for which she held an annual Garden Party in the grounds of Buckingham Palace.

As Head of the Armed Forces, Her Majesty sought to comfort and motivate military personnel at challenging times, often remembering those who had been deployed away from their families at Christmas in her annual Christmas Broadcast. In 2012 she said,

“For many, Christmas is also a time for coming together. But for others, service will come first. Those serving in our Armed Forces, in our Emergency Services and in our hospitals, whose sense of duty takes them away from family and friends, will be missing those they love. And those who have lost loved ones may find this day especially full of memories.”

In 2020, during the Coronavirus pandemic, The Queen spoke to representatives of the Army, the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy posted overseas to find out more about their work, their families and their daily lives.

Remembrance

As a national figurehead, Her Majesty led Remembrance events throughout her reign, attending the Royal British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall and the Cenotaph Service on Whitehall. 

In 2020 she marked the centenary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Westminster Abbey, laying a wreath in a small private ceremony to honour the body which had been officially received by her grandfather King George V one hundred years before.

She also attended events to mark significant military anniversaries, such as the 75th anniversary of the D-day landings in 2019, where she joined world leaders at a commemorative event in Portsmouth.

In 2009, Her Majesty introduced the Elizabeth Cross, the first medal to which she had put her name. The award gave special recognition to the families of those who had died on military operations, or as a result of terrorism since 1948.

Ceremonial events involving the Armed Forces

At many State occasions, Her Majesty was surrounded by members of the military, symbolising the close relationship between the Monarch and her Armed Forces. 

At the thousands of Investiture ceremonies which The Queen held during her reign, Her Majesty always entered with two Gurkha Orderly Officers by her side.

The Foot Guards in their bearskin hats remained iconic figures guarding Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, and the military played important ceremonial roles in State Visit arrival ceremonies, Royal weddings and funerals and, of course, the annual Trooping the Colour parade to mark The Queen’s official birthday.

God Save The King.

Gas Attacks - 5 Point Brief

/

One of the most commonly debated topics amongst the security community in Southern France is whether criminals are using gas to sedate occupants of large villas before stealing their valuable possessions. The debate has been ongoing over the last 20 years with the media reporting several high profile victims including Jenson Button, Patrick Viera, Richard Hammond, Trinny & Susannah.

Westacre Security have investigated this issue on several occasions in the past, seeking advice from medical experts and specialist ventilation consultants. The findings of our previous investigations were inconclusive, however, here’s five things we can be sure of:

1 - FEELING AMONGST THE WEALTHY

Speak to any family who owns a €10m+ villa between Saint-Tropez and Monaco and they’ll have a story of someone they know who has been gassed. Reports of post-raid dizziness, headaches, vomiting and sore throats are often accompanied by the shock of waking up to find your whole property has been ransacked. Cynics might argue these are people carrying out insurance fraud, but gas attacks are no myth amongst the high-net-worth community.

2 - THE TECHNOLOGY IS POSSIBLE

Some doubt has been cast over the medical legitimacy of using gas to render occupants unconscious in a large space without directing the flow of gas at the victim in concentrated amounts (that is assuming that they criminals are not in fact able to do this). Reports of small motorhomes being targeted with gas in France, Spain and Italy are often reported but the doubt comes from the much larger open spaces associated with attacks on large villas. However, during the Moscow Theatre Siege in 2002, it was subsequently admitted by Russian authorities that they had used an anaesthetic gas in the Special Forces raid which brought an end to the crisis. Another common misconception is the method of dissemination - like in the Moscow incident, it was widely assumed that the ventilation or air-conditioning system was used as an entry point for the gas. Whilst air-conditioning systems typically operate a ‘closed loop’ system, it is indeed possible to inject fresh air (or therefore, gas) into the system’s fresh air intake (if it has one) or by tampering with the pipework. Potentially a far easier method might be used by simply inserting the gas hose through an open window or down a chimney.

3 - BLACK MARKET GAS

Another argument against the legitimacy of gas attacks is the fact that you would need such high quantities of gas in order to be effective in multiple rooms in a large property. Where would you get this large amount of gas from? Well, from the same place you get anything else on the Côte d'Azur black market - driven in from former Soviet states through the Schengen border system.

4 - BURGLARS ARE OPERATING UNCHALLENGED

If the whole gas attack theory is in fact a myth, then how are burglars able to spend long periods of time (in some cases, most of the night!) free to roam the property, meticulously removing anything of value including jewellery and watches from sleeping victims? If it’s not gas, then it must be something else - as yet, nobody is able to offer a reasonable alternative explanation, which is mainly why most people continue to believe the gas theory.

5 - THE FRENCH AUTHORITIES DON’T DENY IT

French National Police and Gendarmerie don’t tend to confirm or deny the use of gas in these raids. This may be nothing significant as they tend not to report much as far as high-net-worth raids go.

Whether gas attacks are true or not, we have to assume the criminals are indeed capable of using gas to assist them in carrying out their raids, and we certainly know the technology makes this possible. Despite all the reports of gas attacks, one thing you never hear of is families who have security (as in physical manpower) being attacked with gas - so like all the other specific threats, having security just encourages the criminals to take on a softer target.

 
 

Armed Forces Day

/

Today, the 25th June 2022, is Armed Forces Day in the United Kingdom, where the public are encouraged to show support for our Armed Forces and to recognise the work they do and the sacrifices they make. 

The military is extremely close to our hearts at Westacre Security, and we employ a high number of serving reservists and ex-military personnel. All of our senior staff have previously served in The Armed Forces, so we fully understand the difficulties faced by our military personnel who do an exceptionally tough job, and we will continue to maintain these close ties with the UK Armed Forces in the future. 

We have supported a range of military charities over the last few years, with many of our personnel volunteering to support events, or organising endurance challenges, rugby games and other fundraising activities. We are a member of the Armed Forces Covenant and current holders of a Silver Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme. 

Reserves Day

/

Today is Reserves Day, which forms part of Armed Forces Week leading up to Armed Forces Day this Saturday 25th June 2022. Reserves day is intended to raise awareness and show recognition for the work of our reservists who balance a civilian life with service in the Army, RAF and Navy. 

Reservists give up their spare time to serve in the Reserve Forces to ensure that should their country require them, they would be ready to serve as part of the military. Over the last 19 years, over 35,000 reservists have served on operations worldwide, making an immense contribution. 

The Reserve Forces make up approximately one sixth of our Armed Forces personnel and as such are integral to protecting the nation’s security at home and overseas, particularly providing capability in specialist areas such as medical and cyber. 

Westacre Security recruit the majority of our personnel from within the Armed Forces community, with both ex-regular and serving reservist personnel accounting for over 90% of our staff. 

The Christmas Truce

/

The Christmas Truce has become one of the most famous and mythologised events of the First World War. But what was the real story behind the truce? Why did it happen and did British and German soldiers really play football in no-man's land?

Late on Christmas Eve 1914, men of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) heard German troops in the trenches opposite them singing carols and patriotic songs and saw lanterns and small fir trees along their trenches. Messages began to be shouted between the trenches.

The following day, British and German soldiers met in no man's land and exchanged gifts, took photographs and some played impromptu games of football. They also buried casualties and repaired trenches and dugouts. After Boxing Day, meetings in no man's land dwindled out.

The truce was not observed everywhere along the Western Front. Elsewhere the fighting continued and casualties did occur on Christmas Day. Some officers were unhappy at the truce and worried that it would undermine fighting spirit.

After 1914, the High Commands on both sides tried to prevent any truces on a similar scale happening again. Despite this, there were some isolated incidents of soldiers holding brief truces later in the war, and not only at Christmas.

In what was known as the 'Live and Let Live' system, in quiet sectors of the front line, brief pauses in the hostilities were sometimes tacitly agreed, allowing both sides to repair their trenches or gather their dead.

In Flanders Fields

/

John McCrae
One of the most poignant reminders of World War I is the moving poem, ‘In Flanders Fields’, written by John McCrae, a Canadian army doctor, following the death of his close friend and compatriot Lieutenant Alexis Helmer. Helmer was killed on 2 May 1915 when a shell exploded during the second German gas attack. In the absence of a chaplain, McCrae conducted the funeral service for his friend himself. Grief and the trauma of war inspired his poem.

At the time, Major John McCrae was working in a field dressing station on the road between Ypres and Boezinge. While there, he was mainly involved in treating victims of the German gas attacks. Soon after he wrote the poem, he was transferred, as Chief of Medical Services, to a Canadian field hospital in France, where the wounded from the battles of the Somme, Vimy Ridge, Arras, and Passchendaele were treated.

McCrae discarded the sheet of paper on which he had written the poem. It might never have been published but for a fellow officer who found McCrae’s notes and sent them to a number of London magazines. The poem first appeared in the magazine Punch and immediately touched the hearts of the British people.

In the summer of 1917, John McCrae suffered attacks of asthma and bronchitis, almost certainly as a consequence of inhaling chlorine gas during the Second Battle of Ypres. On 23 January 1918, McCrae fell ill with pneumonia and was admitted to hospital. He died five days later at only 46 years of age. McCrae is buried in Wimereux, north of Boulogne (France).

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.