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The Regimental Journal of The King’s Royal Hussars Major E Sheen MBE
Ireland to deal with. Eddie as QM was instrumental in ensur- ing that supplies and equipment for these duties were in abun- dance and in the right place at the right time. He was not con- tent to just sit in his office, but deployed both to the Far East, and to Northern Ireland when RHQ and C Squadron were sent there on an emergency tour.
In 1972 he was promoted to Major and made Quartermaster of HQ 7 Armoured Brigade in Soltau, before returning to the Regiment, in Hohne, once again as QM. It was here that he mar- ried Ann, his second wife, and they later had a son, Jonathan.
His last posting in the regular army was in 1980, when he was appointed Camp Commandant at Fulwood Barracks, Preston. He retired from regular service in 1981, but full retirement was not an option for Eddie, and his reputation for efficiency and competence, along with his tolerant and cheerful outlook on life induced the DLOY to invite him to be their Quartermaster once again, so in1981 Eddie joined their Non-Regular Permanent Staff, a post he held for 10 years until he finally retired aged 65! In 1984 he was appointed MBE, a thoroughly well-deserved award, reflecting his long and successful career.
After he finally retired, he was a trustee of the Regimental Museum, a local Councillor, a School Governor, an enthusiast for DIY and spent much time with his family at their holiday home in Anglesey.
The secret of Eddie Sheen’s success was not just competence and a capacity for hard work. He had a clear and quick mind which he used both to find solutions rapidly and, most impor- tantly, to anticipate problems and prepare for them. He was always sympathetic to those who had got themselves into an administrative muddle and was quick to help them out of it, usually with a smile and a humorous quip. In the face idle- ness, disloyalty, or avoidable incompetence he could be fiercely caustic, giving his views with force and clarity. But his loyalty, his capacity for friendship, and above all his lively sense of humour made him both outstanding in his tasks and a valua- ble and memorable member of the Regiment and of the DLOY.
JRS
talent that was typical of him and extremely useful later in his service.
On return to regimental duty in 1979 he served in D Squadron as a Troop Sergeant and as a Staff Sergeant until 1985, when he was appointed Squadron Sergeant Major of C Squadron. This coincided with the Regiment’s move to Catterick to become the RAC Training Regiment. C Squadron became the Basic Military Training Squadron, thus responsible for training recruits in their first twelve weeks in the Army. SSM Smith was ideal in the task. He was always smartly turned out and a first class administrator. He had a light touch, giving direction when nec- essary but never micro-managed; but he knew everything that was going on, and preferred to prevent problems developing rather than having to deal with crises.
His great strength, not shared by everyone, was to realize that young men joining the RAC were not of the same class or character as those who had joined the Army twenty years before. They were better educated, from a more prosperous society, and with superior technical skills. However, though
14th/20th​King’s​Hussars​1945​-​1980
Major Eddie Sheen served in the 14th/20th Hussars from 1947 until his retirement from regular service, and even thereafter con- tinued as Quartermaster to the DLOY until he was 65.
He joined the Royal Armoured Corps in 1945 as a Trooper, and quickly showed his excep- tional qualities, particularly as a Gunnery Instructor, and after a brief period with 6 RTR he trans-
ferred to 14/20H as a Corporal, when the Regiment took over the role of RAC Training Regiment in November 1947. It was here that he married for the first time, a marriage that was to produce two daughters, Annette and Glynis.
When the Regiment was posted to Sabratha, Libya, Eddie became a Troop Sergeant in B Squadron, then was in turn SQMS of B Squadron, Officers Mess Sergeant, and then SQMS of Headquarters Squadron. In 1955 he was made a Squadron Sergeant Major, first at Catterick then in our affiliated TA regi- ment, The Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry.
Eddie’s talents for both leadership and administration had been evident early in his career, and in 1960 he was made RSM of the DLOY – the youngest RSM in the Army at the time – and his excellence in this role was shown by the success of the Parade in 1961 when the Queen, as Colonel-in-Chief of the DLOY, presented them with a new Guidon. He returned to 14/20H that year and became our RSM until he was commis- sioned in 1962, when he returned to DLOY as Quartermaster. In 1966 he returned to the Regiment as first, Tech QM and sub- sequently as QM.
This period of the Regiment’s history was turbulent. It involved converting from Centurion to Chieftain, and then from Armour to Armoured Reconnaissance, and moving from Paderborn to Tidworth, with Squadrons deployed to Singapore and Hong Kong. In addition, there were emergency tours in Northern
WO2 (SSM) F M Smith
14th/20th​King’s​Hussars​1965​–​1987
Sergeant Major Frank Smith died after a long illness on 2 September 2023. He joined C Squadron 14/20H in Benghazi in 1965 and served with them as a Ferret Scout Car driver until the Regiment returned to Perham Down to convert to the Armoured role with Centurion tanks. He spent some time on the Regimental Provost Staff, otherwise in A or C squadron as a Crewman, serv- ing in Paderborn, Tidworth and
Northern Ireland. By 1975 he had become a Troop Sergeant and specialized in Signals.
In 1976 he was posted to Lancashire, the Regiment’s recruiting area, where he stayed an effective and successful Recruiting Sergeant until 1979. It was here that Frank developed his abil- ity to understand and communicate with young people, a