St John Ambulance celebrate 80th anniversary

The St John Ambulance in Foyle are in buoyant mood this year with the celebration of their 80th anniversary.
Albert Smallwoods.Albert Smallwoods.
Albert Smallwoods.

Appropriately enough for an organisation from the ‘Oak Leaf County’, it is the St John’s ‘Oak Anniversary’.

One man well-placed to talk about the organisation’s milestone is Albert Smallwoods, who rose through the ranks of the St John’s Ambulance, joining as a Cadet of the Ambulance Division in 1950, to become the Londonderry Commissioner, then the Northern Ireland Commissioner and eventually a Knight of the Order, travelling to St James’ Palace to have the honour conferred on him by the Organisation’s Grand Prior, the Duke of Gloucester, in 2004.

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In the video Mr Smallwoods talks about the anniversary and how things have changed for members over the years.

To read about the Order of St John and enjoy a nostalgic photo feature get next week’s Sentinel - out on Wednesday, February 12.