Page 131 - RSDG Year of 2021 CREST

organising field events, orienteering and cross- coun- try running. He positively excelled at sport.
Tim was a kind hearted and good-natured man, eager to please and with a generous spirit. He was diligent too, although running the squadron account was a challenge for him. But he always put his shoulder to the wheel and produced commendable results.
In the year of the 1966 football World Cup I drove with him in his VW beetle named Gert from Detmold to the south of France to join the regiment on training in Larzac, a barren piece of land near the coast and the Spanish border. It was a great expedition and an amaz- ing experience. The training facility at Larzac did not last long, as I assume that it must have cost the MOD a fortune transporting British army equipment and personnel back and forth from north Germany. It was later superseded by the excellent British army training area in Suffield in Canada.
On amalgamation with the Royal Scots Greys in 1971, Tim reluctantly transferred to the 5th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, also based in Germany. By this stage he had married Eve in December that year in the New Forest: a perfect match. They had met in 1968 in RAF, El Adem, Libya. Tim had adventurously driven there from the UK in his VW Beetle. Eve happened to be visiting her family, taking a break from looking after the distinguished politician, Sir Peter Rawlinson, the Attorney General. Her father was in the RAF, run- ning the desert rescue set up for visiting aircrews as well being a wise and much revered expert on life in the sand dunes. Tim and Eve’s courtship was like a whirlwind as before long they were engaged. Tim had renamed her Miranda as she reminded him of a mer- maid emerging from the sea and that is the name by which most people now know her.
A wonderfully happy marriage ensued with two chil- dren: Tom, serving in the regiment and Amy, cur- rently living in Paris, having recently returned from living in Tokyo.
On leaving the Army, Tim went into the teaching pro- fession, a career to which he was well suited. He was a caring man who got on well with people, enjoyed interaction with youngsters and relished passing on information to his flock. He was also a collegiate type, ready to pull his weight and take part in community life. He taught at Monkton Combe Junior School for fourteen years, his main subject being geography. He took the long hours of duty of such a collegiate life in his stride: Saturday classes, sports afternoons and Sunday chapel. Such work requires commitment and dedication, which Tim had in spades.
There were many sources of pride in his life: his degree over four years after leaving the army; his journey alone and over two weeks along the ancient pilgrim route of Santiago de Compostela in 2008 in aid of Help for Heroes; the pleasure and pride in his son’s progress in the Regiment, reviving his former contacts and rev- elling in seeing old friends and comrades at Cavalry Memorial each year. The final years were busy with travelling, his great love, re-visiting his birthplace in Trinidad, school in Lima, Buenos Aires where his grandparents had had an estancia and some wonderful trips in the US and Europe, fulfilling his interest in architecture – Frank Lloyd Wright, Art Nouveau and Art Deco.
Tim was a cheerful contributor to life: his enthusiasm was infectious, his warmth and love for his family a model for us all and his pure decency was a shining example to the youngsters who had the privilege of being taught by him.
JMFCH Marlborough January 2022
Michael David Brunton BEM
Michael Brunton was born in Farnham on 21 March 1947, the eldest child of Major David and Margaret Brunton. Michael was sent to boarding school, Yately Manor, but his interest was never in the classroom, more on the sports field, playing football to a very high level, as well as gymnas- tics and diving. He was the Under
21 High Board Diving Champion for the South of England when he was only 16, training alongside Brian Phelps, the Olympic and Commonwealth champion.
In 1968, Michael was commissioned into the 3rd Carabiniers following in the footsteps of his father. He had tours of duty in Cyprus, Libya, Germany and the UK, before leaving the army in 1971. Prior to conclud- ing his short service commission, Michael met Fiona Binsted and he proposed to her on her 18th birthday. They were married at Binsted church in September 1970. Their first son, Daniel, was born in 1973, fol- lowed in 1977 by Benjamin.
On leaving the Army in 1971, Michael was encouraged to join Fiona’s family publishing business, Binsted Publications. He worked under Major Ken Binsted, learning the art of producing trade magazines in the wine and beverage industry, then cutting his teeth
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