Page 103 - MERCIAN Eagle 2022

OBITUARIES
1 JAN 2022 – 31 DEC 2022
ASHWORTH
Col Stephen Charles Holbrook ASHWORTH OBE died on 24 October 2022 aged 77. Stephen was born in Andover and entered the RMAS and was commissioned into
The Sherwood Foresters in July 1965.
He served as a Plt Comd in Colchester when the Bn was in an air-portable role then moved with them to Munster and Minden when it converted to mechanized infantry. In September 1969 he was
posted to JIB Shorncliffe before returning to the amalgamated 1 WFR regiment in Warminster where he was the APC Plt Comd. He served with 1 WFR in their tour in Londonderry before moving with the Bn on their posting to Berlin. Stephen returned to Warminster as an instructor to the NCO and Sniper Courses. In September 1975, he was posted to HQ 1 (BR) Corps in Bielefeld as GSO3(Ops). On promotion to Maj in October 1978, Stephen attended the Royal Military College of Science before moving to the Australian Army
Staff Course in Queenscliffe in Victoria.
He then completed a Long Intelligence
and Security Course at Ashford before becoming SO2 G2 with HQ 2 Armoured Division in BAOR. He returned to 1 WFR
as a Coy Comd in Hemer which included another Op Banner tour in Belfast and, after 2 years, stayed in Germany as SO2 Infantry at HQ 1 (BR) Corps. Here he was heavily involved in the introduction of the Warrior IFV. On promotion to Lt Col in January 1987 he became SO1 in the Directorate
of Army Plans before returning again to
HQ 1 (BR) Corps as SO1 Training and Exercise Planning. This role latterly included training coordination for the first Gulf War. On his promotion to Col in 1992 Stephen moved to HQ BAOR in Rheindalen as ACS (Operations) and, additionally, the C-in-
C’s Liaison Officer to the Group of Soviet Forces Germany during their withdrawal. In October 1994 Stephen became the Deputy Chief Military Observer to HQ UNPROFOR in Zagreb in Croatia. This was a team
of some 700 Military Observers from 30 different countries deployed and monitoring the Balkans and reporting to UN HQ in New York. His final military posting from 1995 to 1999 was as the Executive Officer of the Intelligence Division of NATO HQ in Brussels. During this time he was also the Liaison Officer to UN HQ during the Former Yugoslavia crisis. In retirement and as a result of his considerable experience in this area of operations Stephen served with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as an observer for
Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Stephen became the first Regimental Secretary of the Mercian Regiment, acting as the guiding staff officer in the amalgamation of three regiments into one. As well as his OBE, awarded in 1992, Stephen held the UN PROFOR (Yugoslavia) GSM Clasp NI.
ATTWOD
Steve Attwod, ex 1 MERCIAN Volunteers, died on 4th November 2021.
BADDELEY
Major David Baddeley, ex 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment, died on 17th February 2022.
BANFIELD
Sgt Colin ‘Lofty’ BANFIELD died on 1 August 2022. Colin served with the 1st
Bn The Sherwood Foresters and later The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters. He was a stalwart supporter of the Chesterfield branch, and along with others, tended Martin Robinson’s Grave
BARNETT
LCpl Mick BARNETT died in 2022. Mick was a long serving member of both the 7th Bn The Worcestershire Regiment, [TA] in the Anti-tank Plt B company 1 MERCIAN V. He was a great supporter of Kidderminster Branch.
BAYLEY
John Bayley, ex 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment, died on 20th February 2022.
BAYLIS
Sgt Trevor BAYLIS
of Worcester died
on 16 January 2022. Trevor enlisted into the Worcestershire Regiment, Mercian Bde on the 6 November 1961, serving in
UK, North Africa, BAOR, Gibraltar, Tobruk, POW Div, UK, Cyprus (United Nations). WFR, UK N Ireland, Berlin. Trevor was awarded the UN Medal-Cyprus and GSM with clasp NI. Trevor was the best shot in Somme Plt Nov 1962 and had a proficiency award in canoeing. Trevor discharged from the regular army on the 6 January 1975 and later joined the Mercian Volunteers Regiment. Trevor completed school of Service Intelligence and served in F Coy
the HSF 1987 and was discharged on 16 January 1988.
BLAGDON
Pte Bernard ‘Blaggy’ William BLAGDON of Nottingham, died on 29 March 2022 aged 95. Blaggy joined the General Service Corps, with his twin brother George
in 1943 and both then transferred to The Sherwood Foresters
where they served under Montgomery in the Eighth Army. Bernard was discharged from the Army on 9 August 1946.
BOWKER
Andrew Clifford BOWKER died in 2022. Andrew served with B Company 3 WFR.
BRATCHELL
Eric Bratchell, ex 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment, died in August 2022.
BROOKE
Brian Brooke, ex 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment, died on 4th December 2021.
BROOKER
Peter Brooker, ex 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment, died on 21st January 2022.
BROWN
Pte John ‘Brownie’ Roy BROWN of Stafford, died on 15 February 2022 aged 90. Brownie joined the Worcestershire Regiment as a National Serviceman. It is thought that he enlisted in the early 1950’s and served in Malaya and was a Bren Gunner. He was awarded the Malay and NS medal.
CANNING
Tom Canning, ex Staffordshire Regiment, died on 9th June 2022.
CHAPMAN
Colin Chapman, ex 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment, died on 17th June 2022.
CLARKE
Mrs Debbie CLARKE, wife of Lt. CoL (Retd) Brian Clarke TD died on 29 August 2022.
COLEY
Pte Dennis COLEY of Halesowen died on 7 July 2022. One of the original members of the Halesowen Plt , A Company, 7th Bn The Worcestershire Regiment TA, who moved to Kidderminster
on the formation of Mercian Volunteers in 1967.
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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