Page 178 - RSDG Year of 2023

176 EAGLE AND CARBINE LEONARD MASON
Trooper Leonard (Len) Francis Mason was born in Peckham, South London on 21 March 1924. He proudly served with the Royal Scots Greys, from 1942 to 1947, seeing action through D-Day, Caen, The Ardennes, Rhine crossings and numerous armoured engagements throughout the European theatre until his demobilisation after the war.
He was a Sherman Firefly Tank crewman, and a London Transport Railwayman before and after his service, right up until his long retirement. An incredibly humble man, he passed, when given the opportunity to receive the Légion d’honneur medal (offered by the French Government to D-Day Veterans) as he didn’t want a fuss. Indeed, he was forever playing down his service, as most of those heroes of that great generation did.
DAVID DUDMAN
David Dudman was born on 26 May 1944 in Newcastle. He joined the Junior Leaders at Bovington in 1959, aged 15, having left school the same year. On passing out from there, he joined the Royal Scots Greys in Germany.
After joining the Greys he saw service
in Aden during the troubles there and, on returning to Germany, was granted leave. During his time at home he met his sister’s friend, Margaret, with whom he started ‘courting’. After a two-year engagement he married Margaret in 1965 and she joined him in Fallingbostel. The following year, in 1966, their oldest son, Geoffrey, was born followed a year later by their second
son, also David.
Whilst based in Fallingbostel he deployed with the Regiment to Libya on two tours. In addition to serving with various sabre squadrons he served in Recce Troop and Flight Troop on Sioux Helicopters as a navigator. He was posted with the Regiment to Edinburgh prior to amalgamation and was again sent to the Middle East
Len was a devoted husband to his cherished widow, Therese, proud father of four, grandad and a Great grandad, in every sense of that word. He was a keen, competitive cyclist and rode his racing bike on the roads, mountain passes and trails all over Europe, pedalling passionately until he was over 95 years of age.
Lendiedon7October2023inHerefordhospital,aged99 years, after a long and extremely full life. He was one of the last surviving members of the Regiment to serve in World War 2 and Corporal Euan Jardine from the Regiment played at his funeral in Hereford on 10 November 2023.
We were delighted & immensely proud that his passing & service were honoured by the Regiment with the beautiful piping of, “Highland Laddie” (A Greys Regimental march) &, “Amazing Grace”, as a send off, by Pipe Sergeant,
Ray Bessant, Proud Son in law on behalf of the Mason family.
(Sharjah) when regional stability was threatened. His youngest son, (Graham, was born during his time in Edinburgh.
David was promoted to Sergeant in 1971 and posted to the Junior Leaders Regiment in Bovington as an instructor. On returning to Regimental duty in Osnabruck he was a Troop Sergeant in C Squadron. Two tours of Northern Ireland followed, and on the second he was a member of the Intelligence Cell utilising his intelligence, knowledge, pragmatism and patience to great effect.
He was due to attend the cadre at the Signals School in Bovington but was diverted to a second posting at Junior Leaders. He felt the Regiment in 1978 returning to Northumberland with his family.
David was well respected and remembered by those who knew him. He died on 2 April 2023 after a short battle with cancer. He was a stoic individual who, when told of his diagnosis, stated, “well you have to die of something” and “I’ve had 78 good years”. He is survived by his wife, Margaret and their three sons, of which the oldest and youngest went on to serve full careers with the Regiment.