Page 265 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

McWILLIAMS. Major Thomas (Tom) McWilliams
died at Morpeth, Northumberland, on 22 March 2017, after a long and varied army and civilian career. Tim McWilliams enlisted in The King’s Shropshire Light Infantry in April 1950 and was posted to the 1st Battalion in Hong King. He saw active service with 1KSLI during the Korean War (1951-52), when he was the Commanding Of cer’s radio operator. He went on to serve with 1KSLI almost continu- ously until 1968. His postings included Göttingen (BAOR) 1953-55, Lich eld (UK), Kenya, in the rank of Sergeant, during the Mau Mau Campaign (1955-57), Aden in 1958 and Münster (BAOR) 1959-61. From 1961 to 1962 he served with the 1DLI in Berlin. He was then posted to the Brigade of Gurkhas, seeing active service during the so-called ‘Confrontation’ in Borneo between 1962 and 1964. In 1964 he returned to 1KSLI and served as RSM in Terendak, Malaysia. The latter tour of duty included an operational deployment to Mauritius and a period of training in Australia as part of 28th Common- wealth Brigade. He was commissioned in 1969 and served as QM 3LI in Plymouth. From 1971 to 1974
he was QM of 5LI (V) in Shrewsbury.
He underwent a number of tours of duty in Northern Ireland, including the Lower Falls and Londonderry while 3LI was stationed in Minden (BAOR) 1974-76. From 1977 until 1980 Tom served as QM to the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment. He returned to 3LI in 1980, serving as QM in Catterick and then in Cyprus (Western Sovereign Base Area). 1982 saw him as Camp Commandant at Mönchengladbach (BAOR). He was then posted as QM to Headquarters Northern Ireland in Lisburn from 1984 until 1985 when he was nally discharged from the Army on account of high-tone deafness.
In subsequent civilian life Tom McWilliams worked variously as an estate manager near Cannes in the South of France and as estate manager of Claremont Fancourt School, Espom. We extend our condo- lences to Tom’s sister, Mrs Agnes Gee, thanking her for latterly keeping in touch with the Regiment on Tom’s behalf. She can be justly proud of her late brother whose long military career was charac- terized by a high degree of professionalism and by exceptionally loyal service to The King’s Shropshire Light Infantry and to its successor regiment, The Light Infantry.
HE WAS FINALLY DISCHARGED FROM THE ARMY ON ACCOUNT OF HIGH-TONE DEAFNESS
PEACH. Major Richard Peach died peacefully in hospital in Hertfordshire on 1 July 2017. He served for some years in the Herefordshire Light Infantry, and in the 1960s took part in the parade in the City of Hereford when the Regimental Colours were laid up in Hereford Cathedral. In later years he continued to be a staunch supporter of the Herefordshire Regimental Museum.
We extend our condolences to his widow, Laura, and to their two children, Sarah and James.
ROLLINGS. Major William (Bill) Rollings a long time member of the Herefordshire Light Infantry died on June 27 at the age of 90.
Bill had served in the Welsh
Guards during World War 2,
and joined the Herefordshire
Light Infantry in 1948; he
commanded D (Leominster)
Company and attended
every annual camp until the
Regiment was disbanded
in 1967. He was a keen shot and was Battalion Champion Shot on at least 5 occasions including 3 years in succession. He was an Estate Agent in the county all of his working life.
Bill was a founder member (and later Chairman) of The Herefordshire Light Infantry Of cers Dinner Club and regularly attended until a few years ago when age began to take its toll.
Shooting ran in the family and in 2011 Bill presented to the Museum the Herefordshire Ri e Volunteer Corps Kenworthy Shooting Cup which had been won by his uncle.
WILSON. Ray Wilson died in Shrewsbury on 12 February 2017 aged 73. Ray served with the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and then with the 2nd Battalion The Light Infantry. In later life he worked for many years as an MOD guard on the gates of Copthorne Barracks and also became Membership Secretary of the Light Infantry and Ri es Association Shrewsbury Branch. We offer our condolences to his wife Doreen and family.
SPRONG. Captain Astrid Sprong Her sudden and unexpected death, in Haugesund, Norway, on 16 July 2017 came as a great shock to her family and to those many members of the KSLI and the Light Infantry who had come to know her well in recent years.
Astrid’s rst contact with the Regiment came when, as a serving of cer in the Norwegian Army, she was Personal Staff Of cer to General Sverre (“Jimmy”) Bratland MC. Shortly before his death in 2002 she accompanied him on a Regimental battle eld tour in Normandy when he spoke engagingly of his many bold exploits with 4KSLI in 1944 and 1945.
Thereafter she joined a number of Regimental
battle eld visits to Normandy and Antwerp, where she recorded many of the 4th Battalion veterans’ wartime recollections on video; thus providing the Shropshire Regimental Museum with much valuable archive material.
Over the years Astrid ew across from Norway to attend numerous Regimental reunions and functions. On those occasions she always found time to visit a number of our ‘Old and Bold’ in their homes. Her kindness and generosity of spirit became something of a legend in and around Shrop- shire. All the while she was serving with Home Defence units in Norway, and later worked for the Norwegian oil and gas industry. Her kindly and pleasant personality belied an exceptional mental and physical toughness which had seen her undergo special forces training earlier in her Army career.
The Regiment was represented by Major (retired) Jeremy York at Astrid’s funeral in Haugesund on 27 July. We offer our sincerest sympathy and kind thoughts to her husband, Jan, and daughter, Stefanie; and we do hope that they will feel able to keep in touch with Astrid’s closest friends here in England.
THE RIFLES
REGIMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS 263