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an unforgettable parade and a superb social event. Mick will always be remembered for his quiet professionalism, enthusiasm and efficiency. He also had a likeable manner and a cheerful approach to life, which made him very easy to work with.
SIMS
Robert (Bob) Sims, ex 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment, died on 5th January 2021.
SMART
Mervyn Smart, also known as “Smacker”, died on 1st September 2021.
SMITH
Pte Jack SMITH of Worcester died in early 2021 aged 84. Jack enlisted into the Worcestershire Regiment on the 14 February 1955, serving in D Coy and saw service in Islon Germany.
SQUIRES
Corporal Lionel Squires joined 1st Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment on 26 August 1949. He served in various places including Cyprus, Northern Ireland, Kenya, Aden and Dover. In 1959 he was present at the amalgamation parade with The North Staffordshire Regiment and he continued to serve in the Staffords for a further 11 years. In 1964, the Ugandan Army mutinied and his company were deployed to a barracks where they disarmed the soldiers, one of whom was Idi Amin, who later became the ruler of the country. He left the regular Army in 1970, but served as a Territorial from 1972 – 75 in the Mercian Brigade. In civilian life, He became a lorry driver and taxi driver and then worked for security. He settled
in the Telford area and was a stalwart of his local British Legion. He is succeeded by his wife Sandra and sons Sean, Ralph and Tony. As a bugler, his rendition of the Last Post and Sunset was so good, that it was recorded and used by British Forces Network for several years on their radio broadcasts.
STAFFORD-NORTHCOTE
Amyas Stafford-Northcote died on 21st March 2020 after a long illness, aged 82. He was educated in Ampleforth College and Oxford University. He served with 1st Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment, in the Cyprus Emergency,
as a platoon commander (1955-57)
and Germany. After he left the Army, he became a teacher in the family run St. Bede’s School, Bishton Hall. In 1978 he was appointed Joint Head of the school, with his brother Hugh. He led a very active life in the community; was a magistrate
for 38 years, was a borough councillor
for Stafford Borough Council for 18 years and was parish councillor for Colwick and the Haywoods for 30 years. He was Vice President for the Council for the Protection of Rural England in Staffordshire. He
also wrote a weekly news column for a community newspaper. In 2008, he became
associated with the regiment again as
he became a much-respected President
of Stafford Branch of the Staffordshire Regimental Association. Richmond Leason, his Branch Secretary, remembers his stories about the drivers in Cyprus. He took part
in branch fund raising events and invited the branch to BBQs at Bishton Hall. He described him as a quiet gentleman, with
a wealth of knowledge and a charming personality. His demise has left a large gap in Stafford Branch and he is greatly missed. He was buried in St. John’s Church in Great Haywood.
STANTON
Jim STANDON died on 1 August 2021. He served with the 5th Bn The Sherwood Foresters in the 1950’s
STEADMAN
Capt Hugh STEADMAN of Blenheim, New Zealand, died on 15 October 2021 aged 79.
Hugh was commissioned from the RMAS, where he won the prize for Russian
Studies, into the Sherwood Foresters in December 1960. He joined the 1st Bn in Holywood, Belfast, NI in January 1961 as
a Pln Comd. In mid 1963 he moved with the Bn to Colchester where it became part of 19 (Air Portable) Bde. He was one of
the officers who participated in the Bn’s emergency deployment to Cyprus on Boxing Day 1963. After initial operational moves within the island, he was deployed with his Pln (1 Pln, A Coy) onto the Green Line separating Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities in Nicosia. This was during the period pre-UN takeover and was a testing and difficult time for the Bn.
In April 1964 he was posted to the Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion in Oswestry for two years as an Outward Bound Instructor before returning to the 1st Bn in 1965 as a Company 2IC in the Bn’s role as mechanised infantry within 6 Mechanised Brigade.
In 1967, Hugh transferred to the Trucial Oman Scouts as the Defence Intelligence Officer in Sumail near Nizwa, a strategic post at that time.
This was followed by a tour as a Coy 2IC in Berlin with 1st Bn The Staffordshire Regiment. Following resigning his commission, Hugh joined the Wessex Regiment (TA).
STELFOX
Les Stelfox died on the 30th December 2020 aged 107. He served with the 2nd Battalion of the Cheshire Regt. He was a D Day Veteran.
SWAINSON
Captain WJH ‘Bill’ SWAINSON of Chagford, Devon died on 10 February 2021 aged 86. Bill was commissioned in The Worcestershire Regiment in 1955 and served in the 1st Bn in Iserlohn, throughout
the WI tour in Jamaica from 1957 to 1960 where he served for a time as ADC to the Governor and in Worcester until posted
in 1962 as an instructor to the IJLB at Oswestry. He re-joined the 1st Bn in Minden in1963 and moved with the Bn to Lydd
in 1964 and was then seconded to The Parachute Regt and served in 2 Para until retiring from the army in December 1965. While in the Worcestershire Regiment he represented the 1st Bn at athletics and rugby and in Jamaica at polo.
THOMSON
Maj Martin C THOMSON
of Andover died on 30 September 2021 aged 72. Martin enlisted in RAOC in 1966 and after training as a Staff Clerk served in Libya, at the Int Corps Centre and
JDSC Warminster where in 1972, as a
Cpl, he voluntarily transferred to WFR. He served with 1 WFR in Londonderry, Berlin, Ballykelly and Colchester. On promotion to CSgt he became Chief Clerk of 1 Staffords then at the School of Infantry. He returned to 1 WFR as Chief Clerk for 2 years in
1981 as a WO2 before promotion to WO1 at Depot Lichfield, then Infantry Records York. He was commissioned in 1986 and returned to 1 WFR as Asst Adjt. Apart from a tour as Adjt Dhekelia Garrison in 1989
he spent the rest of his service in 1 WFR in various appointments including OC HQ Coy, QM, Families Officer and Movements Officer for several moves. He retired from the army on 2 April 1996
THRES
Maj Anthony ‘Tony’ THRES OBE DL of Exeter died on 13 July 2021 aged 92.
Tony joined the Army in 1946 and served in the ranks
with 28th Training Bn in NI
before graduating from RMA Sandhurst in 1948.
He joined the 1st Bn The Sherwood Foresters in Germany as a Pln Comd then became a Bde Intelligence Officer with 31 Inf Bde in 1951. He rejoined the 1st Bn
in Egypt and Cyrenaica in 1952 and was then posted as Staff Captain (A) in HQ 16 Para Bde in Egypt. He joined the 1st Bn The Parachute Regiment in Cyprus where he took part in the Suez Landings in May 1956. After the short Suez campaign,
he returned to be Adjt at the Depot at Normanton Barracks in January 1957. He returned to the 1st Bn towards the end
of the Malaya Emergency in 1959 before attending the Staff College at Camberley in 1961. On completion of the Staff Course he moved to 38 Group RAF as the GSO2(Para) until 1965 when he returned to the 1st
Bn in Colchester as a Coy Comd in 19 Inf Bde, then, on conversion to a mechanised battalion, with 6th Armd Bde in Munster.In 1967 he moved to Lichfield as DAAG in HQ Mercian Bde before retiring from the Army in May 1968 when he was later awarded
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