Page 171 - RSDG Year of 2023

Between those tours he trained extensively in Libya and served with the Trucial Oman Scouts as they transitioned to the Abu Dhabi Defence Force in the very early 1970s. During that tour the 3rd Carabiniers amalgamated with the Royal Scots Greys in Edinburgh. He returned for the parade and ball, but attracted more attention than he intended when he elected not to wear the new Mess Kit but instead his Trucial Oman Scouts Mess Kit, and our Colonel in Chief expressed her surprise.
Evacuated from Iran after the fall of the Shah in 1979, that was his last Middle East adventure. Of his last few postings, he enjoyed the most working for RSRE in Malvern with a blind scientist developing the Thermal Observation Gunnery Sight for Chieftain.
He was very proud to be son of a cavalry officer, who had also commanded a tank with D Bn at Cambrai (Dalliance). He was prouder still that his son Ben and recently Grandson Rory followed him into the Regiment
JOHN ALBERT
John was born on 24 June 1935. He was educated at Worth Prep School in Sussex, then Downside in Somerset. There he discovered a lifelong interest in History, the Arts and debating. He much enjoyed all team games and in his final two years, he played for the 1st XI Hockey team and the 1st XV Rugby side, one year of which was unbeaten. In his last year, he became
Head of House, and head of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF).
Aged 18 John reported for National Service at Hadrian’s Camp, Carlisle. The threatening parade ground, the Nissan huts, and inedible food (meat, gravy, potatoes, greens, pudding and custard all served up in the same mess tin!) made an indelible impression. On his first night he dutifully knelt at the end of his bed to say his prayers, only to have boots thrown at him and laughter from across the block. On the second night a handful of others did the same. And by the third night all laughter had ceased. It was testament to John’s profound Roman Catholic faith, and taught him always to stick by what one thought was right.
At Officer Selection Board, despite having already earned a place at Oxford, he was almost flummoxed when faced with an intelligence test: as a humanities student this was an alien concept of mysterious puzzles of numbers, squares, triangles, and empty boxes! John commis- sioned as a Cornet of Horse in the 3rd Dragoon Guards,
EAGLE AND CARBINE 169 forming a chain of unbroken service to men, horses and
machines since 1914.
Alongside soldiering, he maintained his keen interest in sailing, joining the crew of British Soldier for the Cape Town to Sidney leg of the Whitbread Round the World race in 1973. Ten years later he was recruited by Peter de Savary to join the coaching team for his attempt on the America’s Cup with the specially commissioned Victory.
After a full career he retired to the Isle of Purbeck where he maintained his passion for the sea first running a sailing school at Sandbanks, and latterly joining the National Coast Watch for duty at St Aldhelm’s Head. Between times he farmed Dorset Poll Sheep and Hereford cattle.
He died at home, as he would have wished, quietly overnight on 03 November 2023.
BPE
chosen due to a connection with an ancestor, Sir John Fenwick. John was eternally grateful for the generosity of fellow officers such as Ken Brown who, upon arrival at the Regiment, were able to lend this young national serviceman a spare Sambrowne belt, expensive accoutre- ments, or riding boots.
Day-to-day life at the Regiment stationed in Osnabruck during the final year of the British Army of occupation 1954-56 was perhaps not entirely unrecognisable for more recent generations. That said: this 18-year-old was presented with his personal soldier servant, his groom, and his horse. Riding school was three mornings a week, and all officers attending were served with a 1⁄4 pint silver tankard of champagne with their breakfast. The mess had around 50 horses, a pack of fox hounds, and two full-time professional huntsmen. Life consisted predominantly of hunter trials and point-to-point races.
Initially equipped with a troop of M10s left over from WW2, these were soon traded in for the Centurions. Diligent visits to the tank park were politely and respect- fully dissuaded by a Troop Sergeant who preferred this young Cornet of Horse out of the way. This seemed to be a happy and mutually agreed existence as John preferred to be in the saddle.
Occasional exercises were marked by a procession of tanks heading out of the camp gates, followed by an equally long procession of horseboxes, with grooms, of course! Only one ’red alert’ resulted in ‘bombing up’ and deploying to pre-prepared positions. The Commanding Officer wished