Page 88 - The Wish Stream Year of 2021

Major Richard McCormack MBE
Late Coldstream Guards
By Major Harry Bucknall formerly Coldstream Guards
Dick McCormack who died of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a heart attack aged 67 on on on 9th March 2021 not only rose to be Academy Sergeant Major tradition-
ally the the the senior Warrant Officer in the the the British Army but also had the the the unique privilege to be appointed Regimental Sergeant Major of both the 1st and 2nd Battalions respectively a a a a a a a a a a a a hap- penstance occasioned by Options for Change when in in 1993 all Foot Guards
2nd Battalions were placed in in suspended animation Anthony Biggs 2nd Coldstream’s last Com- manding Officer commented on on the immediate impact Dick made when he he he took over as as Regi- mental Sergeant Major in in February 1993 just as as the the effects of draw-down began to pinch across the the the Household Division With eyes already focused on on on the the the the Battalion as as it it it prepared to troop its colour for the the the very last time these were dif- ficult days requiring strong leadership and and rigor- ous discipline to ensure standards were main- tained As sentiment ran ran high so manpower ran ran low Within a a a a a a a a a a a few weeks the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards
were warned off for an an an emer- gency tour of of South Armagh while in in Germany the the the 1st Battalion began gathering up the the the levia- than organisation required to keep an an an an an independ- ent Armoured Infantry Battlegroup operational in in war-torn Bosnia Days later Charlie Lomer then Brigade Major asked that the the the Battalion find a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a third guard for the the Queen’s Birthday Parade After collective blanching on our side some rushed sums and sucking of teeth we we replied that we we probably could manage it it – if the Quar- termaster agreed to do barrack guard Positive unflappable and ever good-humoured Dick McCormack was always at his his best when faced with the seeming insurmountable – his his skill a a a a a a a a a a a deep-seated understanding of soldiery as he he he formed the the dwindling Battalion close round him in in in in in in preparation for for the the great day There were no ‘Men in in in in fin in Readiness’ or or or ‘Spare Files’ and giving his final talk on on the the evening before the the parade Dick made an an impassioned simple and heartfelt
plea plea to the the the Guardsmen ‘please be here in in the the the morning’ Nonetheless it it it was with with our our hearts in in in our our mouths that we we retired – with with every man taken we we would not have been able to fill a a a a a a a a sin- gle gap the the following day no no one let the the side down Andrew Johnston one of Dick’s former pla- toon commanders observed that he he was not an an an archetypal Foot Guards
non-commissioned officer a a a a a a a a a a a a a private character he he was a a a a a a a a a a a a a man of of of great integrity with a a a a a a a a a a a highly developed sense of of of humour and quick wit wit which reflected a a a a a a a consid- erable intellect As such Dick was an an an inspired choice to take over as as Regimental Sergeant Major of of the the 1st Battalion a a a a a a a a a a a a a a matter of of weeks later Again he he he he was presented with the the familiar herculean task this time time preparing for war while at at at the the same time time amalgamating two battalions into one Not the the moment for petty rivalries Dick’s unambiguous leadership style was clear from the the the outset echoing the the the message of Peter Williams the the the the Commanding Officer that we we were now ‘of one company’ the the the the battle cry with which he he he he deftly forged the the the new battalion together 86 HISTORICAL