Page 83 - Mercian Eagle Year of 2023

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DALLEN
Clayton DALLEN died on 17th July 2023. He served with the 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment in the 60s and 70s.
DANIELS
Stanley DANIELS died on 25 June 2023. We have no details about his early, military or after life, apart from the fact that he fought at Arnhem with 2nd Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment. He was
with A Company and after intense fighting was captured and taken prisoner. He is listed in the book ‘By Land, Sea and Air,’
the history of the 2nd South Staffords in WW2; as having taken part in the battle, but does not feature in any of the narrative or photographs. The Arnhem operation
has been written up many times, but the battalion were committed as part of 1st Airborne Division in a bold attempt to capture the bridge at Arnhem. Two US Airborne Divisions were also deployed to capture the bridges which led to Arnhem. Unfortunately, German units were in the town and were able to block the attempts to reach the bridge and relieve 2 PARA who had occupied the area around the north side of the bridge. After desperate fighting, the battalion fell back to the Oosterbeek perimeter and held part of it with other glider and parachute battalions. Eventually on 23 September, the remaining troops were evacuated.
DAVIES
Pete DAVIES died on 24th October 2023. He served with The Staffordshire Regiment. His funeral was held on 2nd November at Holmsford Bridge Crematorium.
DOOLEY
Ted DOOLEY died on 4th December 2023. He served with the 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment in Malaya.
DUNNING
Lawrence DUNNING died on 14th August 2023. He served in the 7th Battalion The Cheshire Regiment.
DURRANT
Brig Geoffrey R DURRANT CBE FRCVS died on 11 May 2023 aged 91. Geoffrey reported to Norton Bks for National Service in October 1955 and was commissioned from Eaton Hall OCS into
The WORC R on 4 August 1956. He was seconded from 1 WORC R to 3rd (Kenya) Bn King’s African Rifles between 1956–57. Deemed too old for a Regular Commission he immediately joined the Territorial Army and spent 9 years as a Lt and Capt in the Suffolk Regt and Somerset Light Infantry, while qualifying as a Veterinary Surgeon at Bristol University in 1964. After practising in Blandford, in December 1966 he gained a Regular Commission in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC) and served in Singapore, the UK (including NI), Oman
(for which he was awarded the MBE), Hong Kong and BAOR. He retired in December 1990 and in January 1991, was awarded
the CBE, Honorary Colonel Commandant RAVC, Honorary Colonel RAVC TA and his existing appointment as Queens Honorary Veterinary Surgeon to HM, Queen Elizabeth II, was extended for a further four years. In 2001 aged 69 he came out of retirement to assist with the Food and Mouth outbreak as a veterinary surgeon and found himself back in Worcestershire. His two sons were commissioned into The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regt and The Light Infantry respectively.
FOSTER
LCpl Geoff ‘Fozzie’ FOSTER, of Kidderminster, died on 29 December 2023. Geoff joined 1 WFR in 1976 and served with B and C Coy’s. He was discharged on 31 October 1993.
FROUD
Sgt Jimmy FROUD died on 27 May 2023. Jimmy served with the RGJ prior to transferring to the REME. After his discharge he joined 3 WFR as PSI(A) at A Coy. Jimmy was CSM and escorted the Regtal Colours at the presentation parade in front of HRH Princess Anne in 1977.
GOODALL
Pte Kenneth ‘Ken’ Roy GOODALL, of Nottingham, died on 11 January 2023 aged 96. Ken was originally in the Air Training Corps, enlisting into the Army on 18 August 1944 and later joined C Company, 1st Bn The Sherwood Foresters. He served in various locations in Germany and volunteered to look after the Garrison Cinema and then became sub-editor of Maroon & Green in 1946-47. He was discharged on 2 February 1948.
GOMEZ
Capt Andrew ‘Andy’ GOMEZ died on 13 May 2023. He served with the RAPC in
the Regular Army, and subsequently joined the TA and served as Paymaster of 2nd Bn The Mercian Regt V
from 1976-87
GOULDING
Keith GOULDING died on 23rd October 2023. He served in The Staffordshire Regiment from 1963-69. His funeral was held on 23rd November at Newton Road Crematorium in West Bromwich.
GREGSON
Alan GREGSON died on 28th June 2023. He served with the 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment & HSF 3rd Battalion The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment.
GROCOCK
Ronald GROCOCK, of Nottingham, died on 25 February 2023 aged 90. Ronald served in The Sherwood Foresters and it is believed
that he drove trucks and served sometime between 1950 and 1954 in the Middle East.
HALL
Mickey HALL died on 28th April 2023. He served with the 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment.
HARDY
Richard HARDY, of the Staffordshire Regiment, died in January 2023. His funeral took place on 22nd February at Bretby Crematorium, Burton-on-Trent.
HARLEY
Douglas HARLEY, known as Doug served
in 1st Battalion, The North Staffordshire Regiment and was with them in Korea. Unfortunately, we have no other details of his service. He settled in Brereton and was a very active member of Brereton Branch,
of The Staffordshire Regimental Association and assisted in planning and organising numerous functions over many years. He was also a volunteer at the Staffordshire Regimental Museum for many years. He was buried in St. Michael’s Church, Brereton on 12 December 2022.
HAYES
SSgt Kenneth ‘Ken’ HAYES BEM, of Hartlepool, died on 1 July 2022 aged 90. Ken, originally from Nottingham, joined
The Sherwood Foresters in 1947 aged
15 as a Bandsman and remained in the Infantry until he transferred to the RAPC
in 1958. During his service, Ken served
in Egypt, Libya, Germany, Hong Kong, Malaya, Borneo, Singapore and the UK. He discharged from the Army in 1972 and was awarded the LS&GC. Ken was awarded the BEM for his work with local charities.
HILL
WOII George HILL, of Derbyshire, died on 23 November 2023 aged 100. George enlisted as a boy soldier in 1939. On 17 January 1941 he joined the 70th Young Soldiers Bn (which
then became the 16th Bn and then the 1st Bn) The Sherwood Foresters. He served with the Regt until December 1942, when having been promoted to Cpl, transferred to the Lincolnshire Regt on 10 April 1943. During his service, George served in the UK, Malaysia, Burma, Samatra, Japan, Hong Kong and Kenya, twice dealing with Mau Mau uprisings. Having completed his 22 years service, it is believed that George was discharged some time in 1962 or 1963. George’s brother Les, also a Sherwood Forester, died in 2022.
HUNT
Shaun HUNT, of The Staffordshire Regiment, died on 19th February 2023. His funeral took place on 21st March at Telford Crematorium. He deployed on Op GRANBY during his time in the Regiment.
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