Page 117 - Mercian Eagle 2012

22643500 SSgt George Andrew Bray of Malvern, Worcestershire on 24th September 2012 aged 78. He enlisted into the 1st Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment in February 1962 and served with it in Malaya, West Indies and Tobruk. He continued
to serve with the 1st Battalion, The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment on amalgamation in 1970 moving to the Long Service List in 1974. He left the Regiment in November 1988.
Ronald Bridgen passed away on Saturday 14th April 2012 aged 72 years. We have
no details of his service, but he was a member of Wolverhampton Branch of The Staffordshire Regimental Association. His funeral took place on 3rd May at Bushbury Crematorium.
Pte John Patrick ‘Bomber’ Brown of Nottingham
Pte Leslie Norman Brown of Kingsbridge The Editor apologies for the publication of the wrong photograph under these two entries. In the 2011 edition the photograph displayed under the entry for Pte John Patrick Brown was in fact Pte Leslie Norman Brown.
Captain Clive Victor Bullock passed away in Whiston Hospital, Lancashire on 14th August 2012, aged 88. Clive was born in 1924 and we believe that he came from Burton-upon-Trent, as his family still live there. He enlisted into the Home Guard until he was called up. He served with 2nd Battalion, The North Staffordshire Regiment and was with the Battalion in Anzio and the subsequent fighting through Italy, where he was shot in the back. After convalescence in Sorrento he later arrived in Egypt and rejoined his Battalion in Palestine. After
his service, he maintained contact with
The Staffordshire Regimental Association and attended several dinners, until increasing age prevented him from doing so. His funeral took place in St. Helen’s Crematorium in Lancashire on 24th August.
Donald Caswell passed away on
23rd March 2012 after a long illness, aged 81. He did his National Service
with 1st Battalion, The North Staffordshire Regiment between 1949–51. He was a life member of the Staffordshire Regiment Association and a founding member of Brereton Branch. He served as Branch Welfare Officer and Vice Chairman, until he was no longer able to do so. He was then appointed Vice President of Brereton Branch. His funeral took place at St. Michael’s Church, Brereton on 5th April.
John Stanley L’Anson Chesshire MC
died on 27th November 2011 aged 96.
He was born on 8th September 1915 in Stourport-on-Severn and was educated
at Birmingham University, where he read Medicine. When WW2 broke out he was exempted from the call up because he was
a Doctor, but he pestered the authorities and was eventually commissioned into
the Royal Army Medical Corps and was posted as Medical Officer to 1st Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment. He joined them in India and was with them in the Second Chindit Campaign. During the campaign, their Brigade had blocked the railway at Henu. Faced with this threat to their supply lines, the Japanese attacked and on 17th March 1944 the Regimental Aid Post was overrun. Captains Chesshire and Thorn continued to operate and tend the wounded, until a counter attack repelled the enemy. Days of heavy shelling followed, but John Chesshire carried on with his work, even though it meant standing in
the open while others were able to take shelter. During the first two weeks of the month long battle, he was Senior MO to the Brigade. On at least five occasions shells landed close to his operating theatre. The citation to his MC estimated that 500 men had passed through his hands during the campaign. It paid tribute to his tireless energy under dreadful conditions which saved many lives and provided a great boost to morale. His obituary appeared in the Daily Telegraph on 3rd January 2012 and we are grateful for their permission to quote directly from it.
22219422 Cpl Peter Colley of Brierley Hill died on 28th June 2012 aged 79. He joined The Worcestershire Regiment as a boy in 1948 and after training at Norton Barracks served for 8 years in the Band in Berlin, Gottingen,
Malaya, Bulford and Iserlohn, before transferring to the South Staffords for his last 2 years. He was a versatile musician who played the clarinet in the Band and the piano in the dance band. His very popular speciality, with Sgt Ian Turnbull, was the xylophone duet. He was a regular attender at the Reunion in recent years.
Donald Cook died on 26th Dec 2011 served 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment Suez
David Cotterill died on 12th Feb 2012
Malcolm George Croft passed away
on Saturday 7th January 2012, at Walsall Manor Hospital, aged 75. Mac was born on the 15th January 1936 and served
with 1st Battalion, The North Staffordshire Regiment between 1954 – 1956 in
Hong Kong. He has been Chairman
and Secretary (at times he did both jobs simultaneously) of the Walsall & Bloxwich Branch of the Staffordshire Regimental Association. He was also a volunteer at
the Staffords Regimental Museum and for several years did the Wednesday morning slot. Mac was blessed with common sense and a pragmatic approach to life and
was involved in the wider aspects of the
Regimental Association. He served on the 2011 Reunion Committee and was often consulted for his opinions. His Branch nominated him for a Regimental Colonel’s certificate and this was presented by Brigadier Williams at the Staffords Reunion on the 10th September 2011. The photo
of this was in the Eagle Number 4 on page 136. Sadly this was his final Regimental Reunion. His funeral took place on Friday 20th January 2012 at Streetly Crematorium and the chapel was packed and an overspill crowd stood in the entrance hall. Such was the esteem that Mac was held in, his funeral turned into a major Regimental occasion. The Regimental Association turned out in force, many Museum volunteers attended and there were representatives from the Walsall Branch of the Cheshire Regiment Association and Royal British Legion Walsall. His own Branch directed the arrangements.
Norman Done died at home on 30th December 2011 aged 80. He served as a National Serviceman in 1st Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment from 1950–2, in the Malayan Emergency. On returning to civilian life, he joined 5th Battalion,
The South Staffordshire Regiment in Walsall. He served for 10 years and during that time, represented the Battalion in Bisley and rose to the rank of Corporal. He was a carpenter and married a woman called Iris and they later moved to Rugeley, where he joined Hednesford Branch of The Staffordshire Regimental Association. He and Iris were popular members of the Branch and he will be sorely missed.
24344521 Dmr John Peter Edwards of Colchester died on
17th July 2012 aged 55. He enlisted into Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters in 1974 and following training at the Depot Lichfield he was posted
to the Infantry Demonstration Battalion Warminster until he was old enough to join 1st Battalion, The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters in Ballykelly, Northern Ireland. He left the Army in 1979 having served in Northern Ireland, Belize and Colchester.
Clifford Elstone served with 2nd Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment and
took part on Operation Market Garden, the attempt to seize the bridge at Arnhem. He fought with C Company and was captured at the end of the battle. We heard about
his funeral at very short notice through WO1 Gino Pulizzi, it took place on the 25th January 2012 in St. Paul’s Little Hutton and Agecroft Crematorium.
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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