Page 129 - Light Dragoons 2023 CREST

The expression ‘a lifetime of service’ is one that could be applied very appro- priately to Mel Tazey. Indeed he has served the 15th/19th The King’s Royal Hussars and The Light Dragoons for nearly fifty years. And of all those who have served in both regiments in that period, there are few who have matched his level of commit- ment and dedication.
It all started in Jan 1973 at the Junior Leader’s Regiment in Bovington where he acquitted himself with his customary high standards and passed off as a Junior Sgt. Being not quite old enough to join 15/19H in Omagh, he was held at Tidworth until reaching 18 on 4 Apr 75. He was posted to The Legion, under command of the then Major Tony Wells, and he was quickly identified as a star of the future, both as a soldier and a footballer. It was not all good however, as he was relieved of a week’s pay by the Squadron Leader for having an altercation with some fellow soldiers. Consequently, he was awarded his LS&GC a little later than his peers.
He spent the next seven years in the Legion, including driving a Ferret Scout car in Cyprus, trips to BATUS and a year in Command Troop as the Commanding Officer’s driver, before being promoted to Sergeant and a move to A Squadron, with whom he deployed to HMP Maze as Intelligence Sergeant. It was not long until he was back in the Legion, under the eagle eye of his new father-in-law, SSM Ted Cox. He and Gabi were married in December 1983. He was SQMS B Squadron, SSM C Squadron and the last RQMS of 15/19H, thus carrying the Guidon their final parade prior to amalgamation.
Although relatively young, he was the stand out choice to the first Regimental Sergeant Major of The Light Dragoons, and so began an outstanding partnership with Andrew Stewart which launched the Regiment on amalgamation. As RSM, he set the example for all to follow and is one of the key foundation stones on which the great success of the Regiment has been built. His appointment to MBE was entirely just reward for his spectacular contribution.
Commissioned, appropriately, on Sahagun Day 1994, he was the principal archi- tect wJuly 1995 which included the Presentation of the Guidon by the Colonel in Chief, Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. At regimental duty he served variously as MTO, A Squadron Battle Captain in Bosnia, QM in Hohne and OC Headquarters Squadron in Swanton
Morley, and he also had his first experi- ence on the staff, with HQ 7 Armoured Brigade, which included two deploy- ments to Kosovo. In every appointment, he brought outstanding professionalism, encyclopaedic knowledge, and exemplary leadership. He was thus a brilliant choice to be selected to help set up the new Late Entry Officers Course at Sandhurst along- side the best late entry officers from across the Army.
For his last few years in uniform, he suc- cessfully ensured that he was never posted too far from home in County Durham. Having been SO2 CSS at CAST(N) in Catterick, he was appointed as QM to the Queen’s Own Yeomanry and so began his time in Fenham Barracks. Once again, he found that he was responsible for a Guidon Parade, and dusting off the file, he produced another masterpiece with the presentation by the then Prince of Wales at Alnwick Castle
On leaving the Army in 2010, Mel’s part- nership with Andrew Stewart was rekin- dled as he moved seamlessly to Home Headquarters to take over from Gary Locker. As Regimental Secretary he has achieved so much, working tirelessly for the Association and its members, and pro- viding admirable support to three Colonels of the Regiment, six Commanding Officers, nine Adjutants, and ten Regimental Sergeants Major. His knowledge of the members of the Association, from both sides of the amalgamation, is remarkable, and is borne largely from his exceptional support of the branches and their reun- ions. And he possesses that wonderful gift of always having time; he has never been too busy to curtail a conversation, whether
it is with the Colonel of the Regiment or any other Association member.
So much has been achieved during his ten- ure that the list is long, with the highlights including the launch of Colonels Appeal Fund with Andrew Stewart, Willy Peto and Gus Fair for which over £1 million was raised, the installation and dedica- tion of a new Regimental Memorial Stone at the National Memorial Arboretum, the refurbishment of the Charge! gallery at Discovery Museum, and two parades at Mont Pincon. In addition, he has admin- istered hundreds of potential officers, see- ing many of them successfully join the Regiment, fielded constant requests for historical information, attended dozens of funerals and memorial services, visited In Pensioners in the Royal Hospital, and completed myriad other tasks.
He has not done this alone of course, and since December 1983, he has been wonder- fully supported by the irrepressible Gabi, alongside their two daughters, Samantha and Kimberley. Readers will acknowledge how the family character of the Regiment is so central to its ethos and culture, and the Tazey and Cox families have been, and continue to be, stalwart members of the regimental family.
The Regiment is in enormous debt to Mel Tazey and very suitably, given the part he has played in the history of the Light Dragoons, his final day in post was on the occasion of the 30th Anniversary celebra- tions in Catterick in July 2022. On that day, the eyes were a little misty, and there was emotion in the air, as we said farewell and thank you to an outstanding cavalry- man, loyal servant and great friend.
HAW
The Regimental Journal of The Light Dragoons
Valete
Major Mel Tazey MBE
Major (Retd) Mel Tazey MBE, Major General D J Rutherford-Jones CB and Lieutenant General Sir Roddy Cordy Simpson KCB CB DL, Mount Picon France
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