Page 116 - Mercian Eagle 2012

Obituaries
114
Captain Rupert William Michael Bowers
Captain Rupert Bowers commanded a small team responsible for the training and development of the Afghan National Army based from Forward Operating Base
Ouellette, in the Upper Gereshk Valley. On 21st March 2012, Capt Bowers was leading a patrol to clear a position which was required to enhance security to Forward Operating Base Ouellette, when an improvised explosive device initiated, tragically killing him. He was 24.
Rupert Bowers was born on 29th July 1987 in Wolverhampton and after studying at The Old Swinford Hospital and the
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, was commissioned into The Worcestershire
and Sherwood Foresters Regiment in April 2007. After successfully passing the Platoon Commanders Battle Course in Brecon,
he joined his Regiment in Afghanistan in 2007, where his actions during a complex insurgent ambush, resulted in him being ‘Mentioned in Dispatches’. Upon returning from Afghanistan, he deployed on exercises in Jamaica and later to Kenya, as a
Fire Support Group Commander, after qualifying as a Machine Gun Specialist. He went on to return to Afghanistan a further two occasions, in 2009 where he was wounded in action and on Op HERRICK 15 in September 2011, when he was fatally wounded.
His Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Colin Marks commented on how Rupert was loved by his brother officers
and was extremely popular, because he
was such a sincere and fun loving person. His close friend, Captain Duncan Hadland, summed up the tragic loss “I will miss
him more than anyone reading this will understand and I will never forget him. My loss is nothing though, compared to that of his wife and family and my fellow Officers will be there for them, where ever they need us”.
Rupert was buried with full military honours in St. Bartholomew’s Church, Moreton Corbet in Shropshire on 14th April, the service was attended by hundreds of people. He leaves behind his beloved wife, Victoria and his newly born son Hugo, as well as parents Patrick and Jane and sister Juliet. The thoughts and prayers of all those who have had the pleasure to know Rupert are with his family at this tragic time.
Sidney Addiss died Dec 2011 2nd Battalion Cheshire Regiment WW2. (He was Maj Gen Martin’s Batman on the Normandy Landings)
Major A F W Astle died on St Patrick’s Day aged 81. Tony Astle was without doubt one of the great characters of the 22nd,. Most officers and soldiers with whom he served remember him with great affection and many have a humourous anecdote about serving with him. He enlisted into
the Army in 1949 and trained first at Eaton Hall Officer Cadet Training Unit near Chester before going on to RMA Sandhurst. He joined the 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment on commissioning in 1952 and commanded 11 Platoon of D Coy in Suez. He was a member of the Colour Party
for the Coronation of HM The Queen and returned to the 1st Battalion as IO. In 1954, he was posted to the Regimental Depot at The Dale in Chester as a Training Officer where amongst other things he was in the team which won the North West District Athletics Championship in 1955, running in the 440 yard race.
Promoted Captain, he was posted to the 3rd Battalion of the Gold Coast Regiment in what is now Ghana, as the RSO. Returning to the 1st Battalion of the Cheshire Regiment, he served as MTO and PRI in Singapore and Ballykinler.
Following a Staff appointment at
HQ Western Command in Chester,
Tony was promoted to Major and
posted to 1 CHESHIRE to command D (Training Company) and then B Company in Muenster and Cyprus. A number of appointments at E followed, most of them at REME Arborfield before returning once again to 1 CHESHIRE as a Company Commander.
His final appointment was as Training Major of 3 WFR in Newark from where he retired in 1980.
He settled in Chester with his family,
Sue, whom he married in 1955 and his
3 sons and a daughter and became the Assistant Regimental Secretary at RHQ The Cheshire Regiment where his encyclopaedic knowledge of the Regiment was put to
good use time and again as Secretary of the Cheshire Regiment Association. This was a role he greatly enjoyed and worked tirelessly over the next 15 years to further the aims
of the Association and also to improve the welfare of retired members of the Regiment. He was very proud when his son Philip joined the Regiment and prouder still when he took command of the 1st Battalion in 2001.
25013219 Pte Mark Gregory Bannister
of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire died on 5 June 2012. He enlisted in January 1992 and was discharged in September 1999. He then took up employment as a lorry driver.
WO2 (Drum Major) Donald Bayley. The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment.
Don Bayley served with the Corps of Drums 1st Battalion The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment and as Drum Major at The Junior Soldiers Company, The Mercian Brigade Depot before retiring on 1969. He settled in Lichfield on retirement and died on 15th May 2012, aged 82.
22307650 CSgt Albert Biggs of Trowell, Nottinghamshire died on 14th June 2012 aged 70. He joined the Kings Royal Hussars from 1950-55 during the Suez Crisis and then became a member of
the 3rd Battalion, The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (V) in October 1971 and served with B and D Companies at Beeston and HQ Coy Newark until 1984.
23014886 Pte Albert Ernest Biggs of Ronkswood, Worcester died on 4th January 2012 aged 76. In March 1954 he joined, as a National Serviceman, 1st Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment and extended his service
until March 1957. He served in Bulford and Iserlohn. On his release he worked as an Overhead Crane Driver for Heenan Froude Ltd in Worcester.
George Blackhurst died on 23rd Feb 2012 aged 91, Ex 2nd Battalion Cheshire Regiment
19041935 Pte Eric Walter Blagg of Arnold, Nottingham died on 23rd December 2011 aged 82. He enlisted into the 1st Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters on 14 March 1947 and was later posted to the Gloucester Regiment and
was deployed to Korea. On his return to UK in April 1952, he was posted back to the Sherwood Foresters and served with the 2nd Battalion in Colchester, until his demobilisation in December 1952. He joined the Nottinghamshire Constabulary in 1954 and moved around the County as a beat officer and then transferred to the Traffic Department. He ended his career as an Inspector working in the Nottingham City area. Eric was a founder member of the Nottinghamshire Branch of the British Korean Veterans Association and held the position of secretary until his death.
THE MERCIAN EAGLE