Page 121 - Mercian Eagle 2012

23248517 LCpl Kenneth Lea of Basford, Nottingham died on
17th May 2012 aged 76. As a National Serviceman he joined the Sherwood Foresters serving from August 1955-58. After demobilisation he took up employment at the
Sugar Factory in Newark and then became a lorry driver. He later became the caretaker at Milford Primary School in Clifton, Nottingham.
365510 Lt Col Derek Lester of Wirksworth, Derbyshire died on 25 January 2012. He was commissioned into The Sherwood Foresters in May 1946 and then served with the Special Air Service from 1955–57 and also with the Trucial
Oman Scouts from 1962 to 64. He then moved to MI6 in 1965. He served with the Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion from 1966-67 and was posted in 1968 to serve as Lt Col with the Qatar Armed Forces and became Colonel Chief of Staff in 1972, retiring from the Army in 1978. He then moved to Derbyshire and became the Registrar of Bakewell until 1988, when he retired. He then spent much of his time running his farm and tending his cattle.
23685890 Cpl David Licence of Humberstone, Leicester died on 19th September 2012 aged 71. He enlisted on 6th December 1958 and joined B Coy 1st Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment
in BAOR. On 17th February 1962 he was posted to the MT A Coy, 1st Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters. He served in Cyprus and Munster and was discharged in December 1967. In 1972 he joined the TA.
CSgt Tommy Lysaght, 1st Battalion The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment 1963–1979.
Tommy Lysaght, known as Paddy (because he was a native of Co Cork) or more often, Tommy Wombat because of his deep affection for that particular tool of the Anti-Tank soldier’s trade. He was born to be a soldier, he was proud to be a soldier, he was a big man who had an air of authority about him. Among his many qualities were his excellent powers of persuasion, he was always right, even when he was wrong! As Provost Sergeant in the early 70s, charged with instilling discipline and guiding errant young soldiers back to good order and military discipline he was known to scare and confuse them with his orders ‘Stand Still’ and ‘Move Your Feet’ in the same breath.
Tommy was a man who liked to do well in whatever he was doing, whether he was soldiering or taking part in sports activities. He was a keen runner and orienteer, on the football field, he was a good centre half, though not as good as he would tell you he was. CSgt Lysaght returned to his native Ireland on retirement and died of cancer on 24th April 2012.
23946121 Cpl Derek Marsh of Colchester died on 15th February 2012, aged 67. He enlisted into the 1st Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters in 1962 and served in UK, Cyprus and Germany. He stayed with the Regiment
through its amalgamation and in 1972 he transferred to the Royal Hampshire Regiment and was posted to Northern Ireland and Hong Kong.
Frank Mason died in Walsall Manor Hospital on 2nd April 2012 aged 92.
He enlisted into the South Staffordshire Regiment and we believe that he served in the 1st / 5th Battalion in Normandy. After his Division was disbanded, he was posted to the Black Watch. According to his daughter, Frank was a proud Stafford to his dying
day and declined to refer to amalgamated regiments by their official names.
Maj Sam McGeorge TD died 14th August 2012 aged 88, Ex 7th Battalion Cheshire Regiment
Norman William Mowe died after a
short illness, on 9th March 2012, just
two days before his ninetieth birthday.
This followed just four months after the death of his wife Millie. Norman was a proud Welshman and after the outbreak
of WW2, he volunteered. He was awarded an Emergency Commission in July 1941. He served with 1st Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment in the Second Chindits Campaign in Burma, in 1944.
After the war he decided to stay in the Army and in May 1947 was awarded his Regular Commission. He then served with the Regiment in the Korean War. He was also a volunteer for the Parachute Regiment and did a total of 112 jumps and at one point was a “jump tester” for experimental parachutes. He left the Army in 1956 and returned to Wales settling in a mining village in Rhymney, in South Wales. He became
a Safety Officer in the local Steel Works in Ebbw Vale, later moving to Hereford, Hull and Gloucestershire. Norman and his wife Millie had seven children and at the age of fifty seven decided to take early retirement and take up his passion to play golf full time. Norman came from and had a large military family. His father and grandfather served in the Royal Engineers, his uncle was a Naval Officer and his brother served in the East Surrey Regiment. His father in
law served in the Royal Artillery and his wife Millie served in the ATS. His youngest three sons all served with the Glosters and he has a grandson who is an Artillery Man attached to the Commandos. In all, five generations serving continuously. In addition two of
his daughters married men in the Armed Forces.
458663 Lt John Mugglestone of Packington, Leicestershire died on 17th September 2012. He joined the Royal Engineers as a National Serviceman
and served as a LCpl, before he was commissioned into the Foresters Territorial Force on 5th October 1958. He served
with the 5th/8th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters until 1966, when was discharged. He became a Civil Defence Officer (full time) and then joined the Probation Service where he held a senior appointment until retirement.
Lt Peter Munns died 22nd June 2012 aged 85. He served in 1st Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment in BOAR and Church House Iserlohn.
WO2 John Nerney died on Friday 16th December 2011 at home, aged 63. John was born on 13th December 1948 and was originally from Stoke-on-Trent. He served in 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment from the late 1960s through to the 1980s and rose to the rank of WO2. He served in most, possibly all, of the Northern Ireland tours of the 1970s. After he left the Army he continued to serve in the Territorial Army in Blackpool, Kidderminster, Worcester
and Redditch and completed nearly thirty years service by the time he retired. He lived in Tamworth and worked for a transport company. He was 63 when he passed away and had not been well for some time. He was a much liked Battalion figure who served in various capacities including the Signals Platoon and was also a member of the Battalion’s Bisley Team. He had a lively sense of humour, not in the cheeky chappie sense, for he was more subtle than that; but he had the knack of making his presence felt whenever and wherever he was. He could be relied upon to make people laugh out loud on any day of the year. He is survived by his wife Sue. His funeral took place at St. Editha’s Church in Tamworth and Wiggington Cemetery in Tamworth on Friday 6th January 2012. People travelled from Witshire, Kent and Fermanagh to attend.
5254043 Sgt James ‘Jim’ Thomas Norton MM of Bournemouth, Hampshire died on 10th December 2011, aged 92. He enlisted in October 1939 and following training joined the Signals Platoon 11 Worcestershire Regiment
and in June 1944 landed in Normandy, the
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