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RATHBONE
Pte Ernest ‘Ernie’ RATHBONE of Sandiacre, died on 26 November 2022 aged 104. Ernie served with the 2nd Bn, The Sherwood Foresters from 15 September 1939 until
his discharge in 1946. He served in Anzio, Palmaria, North Africa and Dunkirk and was awarded the Defence Medal, the Dunkirk Medal, the 1939-45 Star, the War Medal 1939-45, The African Star and the Italy Star.
REYNOLDS
Alison REYNOLDS, widow of Lt Col John Reynolds, died in January 2022
RICHARDS
Robert “Bob” Richards, ex 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment, died in November 2021.
RIDGWAY
Lt Brian Ridgway, ex Cheshire Regiment, died on 4th June 2022.
RIVETT
Paul “Arthur” Rivett, ex 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment, died on 14th November 2021.
ROBINSON
Lt Col Symon Robinson, ex 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment, died on 24th June 2022.
ROLLINSON
Philip Rollinson, ex 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment, died on 21st June 2022.
SCOTT
Lieutenant Colonel Anthony ‘Tony’ John Scott MBE died on 4 January 2023 at
the age of 84. He had commanded 1st Battalion The Mercian Volunteers and, following early retirement, spent many years at SHAPE in Belgium.
Tony was at the Depot of The King’s Shropshire Light Infantry before passing through officer training at Mons OCS and being commissioned in The Staffordshire Regiment in 1960. His first posting was to the nascent Ghana Army with whom he served on operations in the Congo. He was with 1 Staffords in Kenya in 1963-1964 and took part in the suppression of the mutinies that took place in the armies of the newly independent East African countries. Service with the 1st Battalion in Belize, Dover and Berlin was interspersed with two stints at Depot Lichfield before going to the Staff College in 1969. Subsequently he was on the staff of HQ BAOR.
Tony commanded C Company 1 Staffords, then a mechanised battalion, in Osnabrück, from 1974 to 1976 and was then Chief of Staff HQ Belize. The threat of invasion from Guatemala was then very high and he was instrumental in planning the defence of the former British colony,
a time which included the arrival of 1 Staffords as the UK Spearhead Battalion. His efforts were recognised with the award of the MBE. After a period as 2IC Deport Crickhowell he was promoted to command 1 MERCIAN Volunteers between December 1980 and June 1983. After this he went to the staff in Ottawa and in 1986 to NATO HQ in Belgium. In 1989 he took early retirement and moved to SHAPE to take up a civilian appointment.
Tony’s sense of duty and correct approach was undoubted but he brought good humour and politeness to everything. He had a bright and mischievous brain, so evident in all of his work and his dealings with people. After SHAPE he and Rachel moved to Oxfordshire yet he still found time to step in as Regimental Secretary
at a difficult time for RHQ. Of their three children, their two boys served in the Army Air Corps, Charlie being a colonel on the staff in Canada.
SPEED
CSgt Robert Horace SPEED of Mansfield, died on 16 January 2022 aged 80. Bob served with 3rd Bn The Parachute Regiment and with 5 (Mansfield) Platoon, F (Notts HSF) Company 3 WFR until 24 June 1994
STRETCH
Ray Stretch, ex 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment, died on 19th September 2022.
TAYLOR
Douglas ‘Doug’ Taylor of Derby died in 2022. Doug served with The Sherwood Foresters.
TOMLINSON
Pte Geoff Tomlinson died on 12 March 2022 aged 83. Geoff enlisted with The Sherwood Foresters at Normanton Barracks in 1957 joining Inkerman Plt. Upon completion of his basic training he moved to Norton Barracks and joined the Signals Plt until he moved with the Bn to Malaya. Geoff also served in Borneo and stayed with the Signals Plt until he was demobbed in October 1959. He was awarded the GSM clasp Malaya and Pingat Jasa Medal.
TREADWELL
Patrick Treadwell, ex Staffordshire Regiment, died on November 11th 2022.
TUCKLEY
LCpl Daniel Peter TUCKLEY of Derby died on 22 September aged 46. Daniel served with C Coy 3 WFR and enlisted with 1 WFR on 5 January 1996 and served in the Close Observation Plt.
He was discharged on 17 October 2001 and held the the GSM NI and NATO medal.
TYSON
Canon Tyson died on 17th November 2021. He served between 1944 and 1948 with the 7th Battalion The Cheshire Regiment.
WALL
Jason Wall, ex Staffordshire Regiment, died in April 2022.
WALTERS
Mark Walters, ex RAF and 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Cheshire Regiment, died on 3rd July 2022.
WARD
Maj John WARD TD died in 2022. John enlisted in the Royal Artillery in 1955
and served in BOAR until 1957 attaining
the rank of Acting Sgt. He became an officer cadet and then 2Lt with the Royal Leicestershire Regiment. On promotion to Lt in 1967 he served with the 5th Bn Royal Anglian Regiment. In 1971 John was a Capt and 2IC in 3 WFR. After his promotion to Maj on 10 October 1977 he became OC at Derby until 1981. John also served at WFR/ EDist STT Chilwell/54 Bde from 1982 to 1987 and EM UOTC Nottingham from 1987 to 1991 and TSW/DofE Officer Leicester/ Northants/Rutland ACF from 1991 to 2001: John held the TD and Three Bars.
WATERS
Helen WATERS, wife of Colonel Robin Waters, died on 20th March 2022.
WATT
Lance Corporal Andrew Watt joined the
1st Battalion The Staffordshire Regiment
in 1995. He served on operations in Northern Ireland and Cyprus, and deployed overseas to Kenya and Canada for training exercises. He started his military career in
7 Platoon, C Company where he proved to be an exceptional soldier. His talent led to promotion and a transfer to Recce Platoon, Dragon Company, where he stayed until
he left the British Army in 2002. In 2006, a few years after leaving the Regiment, Andy achieved his post-military career ambition of joining the Fire Service. He served with Green Watch at Loughborough Fire and Rescue Station for just short of 16 years. He died in August 2022.
WELSH
Michael Welsh, ex Staffordshire Regiment, died in May 2022.
WHITFIELD
Stevie Whitfield, ex 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment, died on 21st September 2022.
WILSON
Capt Barry Wilson died on 10th November 2021.
WINTERBURN
Trevor Winterburn, ex 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment, died in February 2022.
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