Page 113 - KRH Regimental Journal 2022

The Regimental Journal of The King’s Royal Hussars 111
His rise through the ranks was steady and thoroughly earned - but Ken was a tremendous personality, always in the thick of things and living on the edge! He was utterly professional but had a wicked sense of humour and loved nothing better than to play pranks; he once challenged his Tp Ldr, who fancied himself as a shot, to knock down a Fig. 11 target with a box of ammo on a ground mounted GPMG. The bet was for a bottle of wine, the challenge accepted and firing began. After the second ‘double or quit’ the perplexed young officer was asked to inspect the target to find it wasn’t mounted on a wooden stake but on an angle-iron!
Tours in Warminster, Lulworth, Hohne and Belfast in 1978 with Close Observation Troop followed before Ken returned to Lulworth as an Instructor at the Gunnery School. He was tech- nically astute and an extremely talented instructor, abilities that would influence his future career. He returned to RD for a spell in Hohne before being posted to Berlin in 1985 as SSM of the Berlin Armoured Squadron, where the GOC had him arrested at Checkpoint Charlie for not wearing head dress in a military bus – a good start to the tour and something to dine out on! He took over as RSM in Catterick in 1987 and was commissioned in Munster in 1989. A posting back to Berlin as Admin Officer saw him watch the Wall being breeched as he stood at the Brandenburg Gate on the night of 9th November. From Berlin the Sqn re-joined the Regiment for its deployment with 4th Armoured Brigade to the first Gulf War and Ken was hugely successful in commanding A1 Echelon, providing the immediate resupply of ammunition, fuel and when possible medicinal brandy to all four Sqns and the attached two Infantry Coys.
After completing Junior Staff College in 1991 he was posted as S03 G1 7th Armoured Brigade in Soltau, followed two years later by a UN tour in the Gulf working from patrol bases on the Iraq-Kuwait border. On his return to UK, he was posted as SO2 Weapons at Lulworth. In 1996 he took over as OC of the CR2 Fielding Team, a highly influential job that lasted for five years. Working closely with Vickers Defence Systems, his remit was to test and issue the fleet of 386 Challenger 2 tanks to the RAC. Having successfully avoided the stores for all of his service, he found himself on a QM’s course at Deepcut in order to take over as QM Tech at the Armour Centre in Bovington. His final tour was as a SO1 at HQ Land Command at Wilton.
Having served in the army for over 41 years, Ken became Range Officer at Lulworth in 2006, a post he felt very privileged to hold for over 13 years. This could not have been a better way to end his career, as he could combine his love of the army, gunnery and tanks with his genuine affinity for Lulworth and the local area, a big part of which was the Military Training Area and Ranges encompassing Tyneham Village.
As most are aware, Tyneham is a requisitioned village, unoccu- pied since its enforced evacuation in 1943. Over the decades it had fallen into disrepair, with only limited maintenance by the MoD. Ken worked very closely with the “Friends of Tyneham” to enhance and improve what was left of this once historical village. He arranged popular annual Charity Christmas Concerts held in Tyneham Church and persuaded performers to offer their services for free with all proceeds given to charities such as Help 4 Heroes, SSAFA and the Royal Marines’ Charity, as well as funding repairs to many sections of the village. Creating educational links with the Dry Stone Walling Association and The Dorset Countryside Volunteers, he pushed on the rebuilding of the stone walls, uncovering ancient roads and paths and establishing new signage. Ken’s motivated team also managed to collect and replace village artifacts that had been removed to the local area. The village now boasts a beautiful historic church, rectory, school, farm, and sev- eral cottages that visitors continue to flock to each year. Without Ken’s drive, passion, and genuine enthusiasm this may not have been possible.
Throughout his career, Ken provided constant support, depth of feeling and loyalty to the Regiment. He is survived by his wife
Liz, daughter Nadine and son Jon.
PDWG
Colonel Tom Hall’s life formed a broad and interwoven tapestry with the core being his service in the 11th Hussars and to the amal- gamated regiments. The many other strands were woven into this core.
Tom joined C squadron under the
enthusiastic command of Tommy Pitman in Germany in 1947. After serving as an armoured car troop leader he was selected in 1952 as ADC to General, later Field Marshal, Sir John Harding, the C in C Rhine Army and subsequently CIGS in London. It was while he was in London that he met Mariette. However, they were soon parted when Tom re-joined C Squadron in Malaya. Here his troop provided close escort to the High Commissioner General Sir Gerald Templer. A serious task as Templer’s predecessor had been ambushed and killed by terrorists. He also became an extra ADC organising the
General’s programme and movements.
Tom and Mariette married in 1954 and moved to Kuala Lumpur. He was appointed adjutant and retained the role when the 11H moved to Carlisle. Here he and Mariette set up in some style in Knockhill House in Dumfrieshire where their generous enter- taining was legendary. After Carlisle Tom instructed at Mons officers training unit before attending Staff College. One of the highlights of his time in the regiment was returning to command B squadron in Aden, Sharjah and Kuwait. This was old fash- ioned soldiering with troops deployed up-country both in Aden and Sharjah and an emergency deployment to Kuwait to man the border against a threatened attack by Iraq’s General Kassem. However, despite the serious soldiering, Tom still managed to enjoy life water-skiing behind the speedboats he and Fred Barker brought out from England.
After a posting as Army Instructor at the Royal Navy College Greenwich, Tom returned to become second in command of 11H at Hohne. At first this was an ideal posting allowing time for skiing in Alpbach, St Moritz and Meribel, and summer trips sailing around the Baltic in his motor yacht Woodpecker which we all enjoyed. His excellent planning skills were also invalu- able in organising the parade for the Queen Mother to present the new Guidon to 11H. This was a huge success but was com- pletely overshadowed a few days later when Colonel Dick Sutton and his driver were killed returning from parading the Guidon in Coburg. Tom was immediately appointed Commanding Officer during this sad time, until Peter Hamer arrived the following year. This was a time when Tom’s calm and sympathetic leader- ship skills were demonstrated to the full.
After Hohne, Tom retired from the Army but never lost his con- nections with the Regiment, and in 1974 was appointed Colonel of the Regiment to The Royal Hussars (PWO). The youngest Cavalry Colonel in that role which he took very seriously, serving until 1983. He was a great forward planner and to help ensure the continuation of the RH in difficult times he sought out and recruited the very best young officers.
Colonel Tom Hall CVO OBE FRSA
11th Hussars (PAO) 1947 – 1966
Colonel of The Royal Hussars (PWO) 1974 - 1984