Page 125 - MERCIAN Eagle 2021

the OBE and was also appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Devon in 1991
TYSON
Canon W E P Tyson, ex Chaplain 7th Battalion Cheshire Regiment, died on the 17th November 2021.
ULUILAKEBA
Epeli Uluilakeba was born in Fiji on 9th March 1982. He enlisted into The Staffordshire Regiment on 30th January 2004 and served with them in Tidworth. He was part
of a large group of Fijian soldiers who made a lively contribution to the Battalion’s sporting and social life and
he became known as Pex. In April 2005 he deployed with the battalion to Al Amarah with C Company. On the 16th July he was in a Snatch Land Rover, which was destroyed by a large improvised explosive device. His Platoon Commander, 2/Lt Richard Shearer and Ptes Leon Spicer and Phillip Hewett were all killed. He and another soldier were protected by the radio, but both suffered serious injuries and were evacuated back
to the United Kingdom. Pex recovered
and despite what had occurred, showed
a great deal of personal courage, by volunteering to serve with the Battalion in Basra in late 2006 – 7. Here he acted as vehicle gunner to Ian Fisher. However, he was in a Warrior Armoured Fighting Vehicle which was attacked and the strain of this tour, combined with his previous injuries slowly took its toll and he struggled to cope. He went through a difficult phase and was eventually discharged in December 2009 and settled in Marchwood. Later he moved to Southampton. Pex attended Queen Elizabeth’s College in Leatherhead
in Surrey and learnt how to do carpentry and plastering. This excellent institution
was visited by a member of Regimental Headquarters, who was impressed by
their work generally and the immense
effort that they put into developing Pex.
In 2021 Pex returned to Fiji and by this stage was married. Sadly, he died there
on the 19th July 2021 and was buried by his Fijian family. One person who deserves to be acknowledged is Elaine Laga from Worcestershire, who took care of him
and put him up many times and provided excellent practical support over many years.
WAKEFIELD
Cpl Fred Wakefield, ex 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment, died on the 14th January 2021.
WELLS
Tony Wells, who served in the RLC attached to the STAFFORDs as the Master Chef in Ternhill, died in June 2021.
WILKINSON
Mrs Joy WILKINSON, wife of Brig (Retd) Edward Wilkinson CBE, TD, DL, died on 25 December 2021.
WILSON
Mr Arthur Wilson of the MVRA died on the evening of the 3rd October 2021. A regular attender at branch meetings in Walsall, Arthur was an ex regular having served with one of the Royal Lancer Regiments, then later joined the Reserve Army serving with the Light Infantry Mercian Volunteers in Walsall.
WILSON
Capt Barry Wilson, ex 7th Battalion Cheshire Regiment, died on the 10th November 2021.
WILSON
Pte Raymond ‘Ray’ WILSON of South Normanton died on 4 August 2021, aged 83. Ray (who was also known as ‘Willow’ in his service days), joined 1st Bn The Sherwood Foresters in either 1958 or 1959 and served in Malaya and Singapore. He left the army following his National Service in 1961 and was later recalled to deploy
to Burma and then stood down. He was awarded the National Service Medal and GSM and later the Pingat medal.
WISE
Capt J O (Mike) Wise, ex 1st Bn Cheshire Regiment, died on the 26th February 2021.
WOHLLEBEN
CSgt Stefan Wohlleben, ex 1st Bn Cheshire Regiment, died on the 6th Aprl 2021.
WOODDISSE
Col John WOODDISSE DL died on 18th October 2021 aged 87. John enlisted into the Army at Normanton Barracks, Derby on 3rd February 1952. He attended Officer Training at Eaton Hall
in August 1952 and was commissioned
into the 1st Bn The Sherwood Foresters in December 1952, the regiment his father, Major Ralph Wooddisse had served in before him. John joined the 1st Bn in Derna, Cyrenaica at the foot of Djebel Akhdar and became a Mortar Platoon Commander.
In 1955 John moved to Sennelager, continuing as both a Mortar Pln and a Rifle Pln Comd. In August the 1st and 2nd Bn’s amalgamated and in 1956 John joined the 1st Bn The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment and became OC Training Wing and then OC HQ Company. The reorganisation of
the Army at that time saw John move
to the newly formed 1st Bn 2nd East Anglian Regiment before becoming the Staff Captain in HQ 12 Infantry Bde in Osnabruck. After training at the Arabic Language School in Aden John joined the Northern Frontier Regiment of the Sultan’s Armed Forces in May 1964. In early 1966 he moved to be Adjt of 4th/6th Bn The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment. In 1967 he returned to the now renamed 2nd Bn The Royal Anglian Regiment as a Coy Comd and then posted to Cyprus as an SO2.
In 1972 he joined 3rd Bn Royal Anglian
Regiment in BAOR and completed two NI tour. This was followed by tour in HQ BAOR in Rhiendhalen as SO2 CSIT. In 1976 he was involved in the Tickell Committee, the Army Manpower Review before ending
his Regular Army career with 5th the Royal Anglian Regiment as their Training Major. On retirement from the Army on 9 September 1978, John was Commandant of the Derbyshire Cadet Battalion of WFR, a member of East Midlands TAVRA and the Derbyshire ABF Committee. In 1989 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Derbyshire.
WORRALLO
Cpl Ray Worrallo passed away on
1st December 2021. Ray served with
D Company 2 MERCIAN Volunteers before transferring to 143 Plant Royal Engineers at Gordon House, Walsall.
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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