The old guard passes : July - December 2023

We mark the passing of those who have served this country. Contributions from comrades and families welcome. Contact curator This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

ALSTON-ROBERTS-WEST Lt Col George Arthur Alston-Roberts-West CVO died 16 July 23

ASHLEIGH Sgt Frank Ashleigh 23 Dec 1924 - 18 June 23 youngest glider pilot Op Market Garden. "Death march" from Stalag Luft VII Liberated by Russians

AUSTEN Lt Cdr Francis Henry Inskip Austen died 22 Nov 23 aged 99

BLACKLOCK Lt Cdr Michale Blacklock died 9 Oct 23 aged 95 Royal Scots Greys

BOAM Maj Gen Thomas Anthony Boam died 20 Nov 23 aged 91

BURTON Wing Cdr Philip Burton AFC MBE died Sept 23

BUTCHARD Captain John Bryan Butchard RN 25 March 1919 - 8 Oct 23 HMS Volunteer France and Norway HMS Vimy Rammed U-162 MiD U-187 abandoned boat. HMS Magpie 2i/c U-264 sunk "nd Escort Group sank 16 U-boats. POstwar HMS Diadem

CHAPMAN George Chapman OBE 1925 - 29 Oct 23 aged 98. Home Guard. Regular Army 1942 Arakan, N Burma

CHATER Brig James (Jimmy) Kentish Chater died 4 July 23 aged 88

CHURCHER Leading Patrolman Lawrence Stanley Churcher 12 August 1920 - 10 August 2023. Last surviving mmeber of Royal Navy to take part in Op Dynamo Dunkirk evacuation. Joined RN on 18th borthday. HMS Eagle, landed on Dunkirk beaches to supply ammunition. Then back as small boat crew. Mediterranean. HMS Wager Op Neptune (D Day). British Pacific Fleet wounded. French Legion d'Honneur

CLIFF Wg Cdr Patrick Cliff OBE died 19 Oct 23 aged 88

De BURGH Lt Michael de Burgh 11 June 1923 - 21 July 23 "The last lancer" of WWII. 9th Queen's Royal Lancers Tank troop cdrTunisia, Sicily, Italy (Gustav Line) Monte San Savino Wounded on the Po

DURRANT Brig Geoffrey Robert Durrant CBE 24 May 1932- 11 May 23 Army vetinary surgeon. Kenya and police dogs in Pacific. With 22 SAS Oman. Hong Kong. N Ireland. BAOR

FLEMING Brigadier Bryan Fleming MBE died 28 Sept 23 aged 84

FULLER Cdr Malcolm John Fuller died 19 Sept 23

GAUTIER Leon Charles AlexandreGautier Medaille Militaire 27 Oct 22 - 3 July 23 Free French Navy then Commando "Kiefers Commando" Sword Beach D-Day under Lord Lovatt - only formed French body to land that day. Normandy breakout then injured/

GILLESPIE Major Colin Leonard Beauchamp Gillespie MBE, MiD 10 May 195 - 19 June 23 Royal Engineers, Italian campaign. Palestine. Hong Kong. India. Singapore. Malaya (B Sqn Malayan Scouts reraised SAS) HQ East Africa Command Kenya Cyprus peacekeeping 3rd Divn RE regt (2ic) Joint Warfare Establishment "black ops"

GLAISTER DrDavid Glaister later Professor ex RAF Medical died 3 Oct 2023 aged 89

GODERSON John Goderson died 2 Oct 23 aged 103. Survived Lancastria sinking. Army. Monte Casino

GOUGH Major John McKinley Gough died 26 July 2023. Parachute Regt. Olympian

GRAHAME Major Iain Grahame 1 july 1932 - 4 Sep 23 National Service 60th Rifles. Germany. King's African Rifles Uganda anti Mau Mau

HAINES Carl Edward Haines 23 March 1931 - 1 June 2023 Fleet Air Arm pilot 175 missions around Korea 804 Sqn HMS Glory and 802 Sqn HMS Ocean Sea Furies.inc prop v 8 Migs dogfight Career 1473 flying hours 332 deck landings

HALL Alec Hall 3 June 1922 - 16 Oct 2023 Medical orderly 1st Airlanding Light Regt RA. North Africa, Sicily, Italy Op Market Garden Arnhem. Remained with casualties Stalag VII-B. Liberated in time for D Day parade

HEDGES Major Dr Kenneth Hedges 17 January 1935 - 11 October 2023 RAMC SAS regimental medical officer Borneo, Yemen E Africa, Libya Germany, Netehrlands, Norway, N Ireland MiD. First to reach North Pole and return on foot.Polar Medal. Canadian military reservist. Cdr Order of St John

HORD Lt Col Malcolm Hord dies 12 Nov 23 aged 85 RHA

HUGILL (nee Browne) Third Officer Fanny Tudor Imogen Gore Browne (later Hugill) 22 Jan 1923 - 28 Sept 2023 WRNS staff of Admiral Ramsay Channel defence and Op Overlord.

JAMIESON Gordon Leslie 14 June 1921 - 23 Sept 23 2/26th Australian Infantry Brigade Captured in Singapore. Changi Burma Railway hen Changi again

JENKINS Major Peter Gordon Jenkins died 4 Sept 23 aged 92. 204 (Tyneside Scottish) Battery RA

JONES Wg Cdr David Robert Jones died 13 Oct 23 aged 85

LATOUR (later Doyle) Sectrion Officer Pippa (Phyllis) Ada Latour MBE 8 April 1921 - 7 Oct 23. WRNS secretarial WAAF mechanic F Section SOE radio operator "Scientist" circuit Northern France May - October1944 135 messages sent back Chevalier Legion d' Honeur

MCCRUM Captain Tony McCrum RN died aged 104

MACEY AVM Eric H Macey OBE died 27 Aug 23 aged 87

MAGUIRE Leslie Charles Maguire RN 27 Dec 1941 - 25 Nov 23 Falklands (previously keyboard player Gerry and the Pacemakers)

MARSHALL (later Sir) Peter Harold Reginald Marshall KCMG, CVO Wartime RAF navigator inc Liberators. Later British Ambassador to the United Nations

MASON AVM Richard Anthony (Tony) Mason CB, CBE died 12 November 2023

MAXWELL Roy Maxwell 1922-2023 5th Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers, 4 Cdo. Sword Beach 0800 D-Day under Lord Lovatt. Nov 44 assault on Walcheren island Netherlands where given a bible by local family (returned 2009) French Legion d'Honneur

MAYNARD (later PONSONBY) Anne Veronica Theresa Maynard 23 December 1924 - 3 October 2023 FANY/WTS SOE coder and telegraphis. Legion d'Honneur Later SIS/MI6. Daughter co-founded Help for Heroes

MENZIES Lt Col Norman Edward Menzies MBE 2 Sept 1939 - 12 Aug 23 Parachute Regt 3 Para M East. Falklands (logistics - Norman the Storeman) N Ireland (x3) Commissioned aged 37

OXLEY Major Nigel Francis Malcolm Oxley died 14 July 23 Gordon Highlanders

PITMAN Lt Col John Hugh Pitman OBE died 11 Oct 23 aged 88

PRICE Dr Major Edgar Charles Vincent Price TD died 14 Oct 23 2nd Bn Yorkshire Volunteers

RAY Lt Col James Bryant Ray died 4 Sept 2023 aged 94

REED Lt Robert John Reed RN died 26 July 2023 aged 82

RENOUF Dr Surgeon Lt Sdrian Charles Dominic Ranouf died 11 Oct 23 aged 68

ROCHE Major William Harold "Bill" Royal Iniskilling Fusiliers died 29 Oct 23 aged 94

SARGEANT Flt Sgt Charles James Sargeant DFM, Legion d'Honneur 16 January 1925 - 13 Nov 23. 115 Sqn Lancasters 7 Sqn Pathfinder rear gunner "tail end Charlie" - 56 missions over NW Europe Op Manna Postwar Iraq, India, Italy

SLOANE Col Christopher Richard Joseph OBE died 12 Oct 23 aged 64 Royal Engineers

STEWART Lt Col Simon Marcus Perrin Stewart OBE QDG died 20 Sept 23 aged 75

STEWART Sergeant Rena Williamson Robertson Stewart  17 Feb 1923 - 11 November 23 ATS. Bletchley Park - German Book Room later Bad Nenndorf PoW translating  - and Hotler's personal will. BBC World Service

TOMS Col Edward Toms 10 Dec 1920 -17 August 2023 2nd Royal Tank Regt, Western Desert (1st & 2nd Alamein) commissioned into Seaforth Highlanders; Anzio; Raiding Support Regt (SF) Italy, Albania; Seaforths to Belgium' Op Plunder; Force 136 Indonesia Far East HQ, later c/o Gordon Highlanders TA

VENABLES Captain Roger Venables RN died 31 Oct 23 aged 88 Submariner

WALKER Genral Sir Anthony Walker KCB 16 May 1934 - 13 Oct 23 2RTR BAOR Libya 2nd Ghana Recce Sqn Congo, Hong Kong, i/c 1RTR, N Ireland, Cyprus, DCDS (Commitments) Commandant RCDS

WALLS Major James Frances Walls died 18th July 2023 aged 89. 15th/19th King's Royal Hussars

WELSH WO2 Andrew Robb Welsh 27 November 1941 - 13 April 23 Parachute Regt Persian Gulf, Cyprus, Yemen, Aden "Sgt O" 1 Para Londonderry. "Bloody Sunday" where he maintained he killed 2 gunmen and wounded a third. Saville Inquiry rejected this. Awarded MM for service in N Ireland

WHYNTIE Cdre Adrian Whyntie died 21 Nov 23

WILFORD Colonel Derek Wilford OBE 16 Feb 1933 - 24 Nov 23 . National SErvice, Royal Lincolns. SAS Far East 2nd Inf Bgde, 2PARA, C/o 1 Para N Ireland Bloody Sunday Nigeria, SHAPE

ZURAKOWSKI Stanislaw Zurakowski 24 July 1920 - 27 Jul 23 Polish war infantryman. Father murdered by Russia in Katyn Forest. Forced labour Archangel. Palestine II Polish Corps under Gen Anders. Monte Cassino. Gustav Line, Gothic Line Exile in UK Hon Lt Col at age of 100