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Cross. His citation stated “The coolness, fortitude and offensive spirit displayed
by Awang Anak Raweng were of the highest order. Despite being twice severely wounded he showed the utmost courage and resolution to continue the fight and protect the wounded soldier”. Had he been enlisted in the army he would have been eligible for the VC.
After the Sarawak Rangers were reformed in 1953, Dutak joined them and rose to the rank of Sgt. He attended several reunions of the VC and GC Association and usually also visited the 1st Bn on these occasions accompanied by Lt Col St JC Brooke Johnson MBE, a descendant to the Rajah Brooke family of Sarawak.
RENNIE
Maj K (Ken) J Rennie TD, former OC B Coy 3 CHESHIRE, died 1 July 2020.
ROGERS
Brig Charles ‘Charlie’ ROGERSs OBE died on
15 June 2020 at the age of 71. Born in Aldershot and educated at Sherborne, Charlie was commissioned into the Devon and Dorsets
in June 1970, serving as a Platoon Commander in A Company 1 D&D, in Malta, Gillingham and Northern Ireland until moving to the Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion [IJLB] at Oswestry. He returned to 1 D&D as Intelligence Officer in 1975 before attending the Long Armour Infantry Course and then going back to the Bn as 2IC and completing an operational tour in North Belfast. In 1978 he was appointed Adjt of IJLB Shorncliffe and after a year was promoted to become
a Company Commander. He attended
the Army Staff College at Camberley
in 1982 before moving to his first Staff appointment in HQ UK Land Forces and then returning, in 1984, to 1 D&D as
a Company Commander in Berlin. He then completed a tour of duty as Chief Instructor at RMA Sandhurst and went on to the
Joint Services Defence College course at Greenwich. Subsequently he worked in
the UK Commanders-in-Chief Committees (UKCICC) at Wilton, conducting operational and contingency planning, before promotion to Lt Col and command of 1 STAFFORDS
in Fallingbostel in the autumn of 1989. Charlie was then awarded an operational OBE for his great skill on Op GRANBY. Following command, he ran the All-Arms Tactics Course at Warminster for company commanders and in 1995 attended the Higher Command and Staff Course. This was followed by promotion to Col and a posting as British Liaison Officer to HQ US Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe. On his return he went to HQ Land Command at Wilton as DACOS G3 Ops before promotion to Brigadier and a tour with SFOR in Bosnia. This was followed by command of 160 Brigade in Brecon for three years and then, from 2002, two years as Exercise Director in HQ ARRC, Germany.
On returning to England in 2004 he was a project director at RMCS Shrivenham before retirement that year.
ROSTRON
Michael Rostron of the Cheshire Regimental Association, died 1 February 2020.
SALES
Mrs Karen SALES, wife of Gary Sales, ex WFR, and stalwart member of Chesterfield Branch died in 2020
SILK
Brig RG SILK CBE DL of Worcester died on 14 July 2020 aged 78. ‘Ronnie’ was commissioned into The Worcestershire Regiment
in 1962 and served with
the 1st Bn in Minden, UK and Gibraltar. After a tour as an instructor
at the School of Infantry he re-joined the Bn as Adjt shortly before amalgamation
in 1970. In January 1972 he served in MOD before attending the Australian Staff College, followed by a tour as a company commander in 1 DERR. He then returned to Australia as an instructor at the Land Warfare Centre before re-joining 1 WFR as 2IC, in Belize. He next served as SO2 MS in BAOR before Commanding 1 WFR in Hemer and on a 4 month tour in NI where he was awarded a Mention in Despatches. He served as MA to the C-in-C BAOR from July 1984 followed by a short tour as a DS at the Staff College before promotion to Colonel and appointment as COS NI where he was awarded the CBE. He returned
to the Staff College as COS in August
1989 before promotion to Brigadier and appointment as Commander of 143 Brigade in Shrewsbury in January 1992. He retired from the army in 1994 and served as a
very conscientious Colonel of the Regiment from 1992-97. He was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Hereford and Worcester in 1996. He was an outstanding member of the regiment and much respected by those who served with him.
SPEED
24245200 Cpl Melvin SPEED died on 12 April 2020 aged 76. Melvin served with
E Coy 3 WFR until he was
he was discharged on 13 September 1982.
SUGG
4979330 Sgt Gordon Sugg died on 17 June 2020
aged 100. Gordon, from Hampshire enlisted in Leeds Bks on 17 January 1940 and went to Bestwood Lodge Arnold where he
joined D Coy 9th Bn Sherwood Foresters and went to France with the B.E.F and was wounded in the legs by shrapnel at Dunkirk when German dive bombers attacked the beach. He was later evacuated to England aboard HMS Winchelsea. At his 100th birthday party he recalled ”We were queuing
on the beach, waiting for the boat. We knew it was going to be the last one so you can imagine how we felt. “I was wounded by shrapnel in the left leg, about 70 yards from the boat. Only the walking wounded made
it to the boat, so if it hadn’t been for two mates, Alf Taylor and Lee Hunt, who picked me up and carried me to it – I wouldn’t be here now. If I had been left behind, I would have spent six years as a prisoner of war
... or shot.” After he was released from hospital, he was posted to Catterick and transferred to The West Yorkshire Regiment on 14 April 1941. Gordon was discharged from the army on 3 May 1946.
SULLIVAN
Mr Charles Sullivan of the 2nd Bn Cheshire Regiment, died 14 August Aged 100. He was a D Day Veteran.
SYMMONDS
24026891 LCpl Barrie Anthony SYMMOND died on 6 July 2020. Barrie enlisted into the Worcestershire Regiment on 25 August 196, serving in the UK, Gibraltar, Cyprus, Northern Ireland and
Berlin, Germany. He served in the Drums Pln playing the tenor drum and flute. Whilst Barrie was on patrol during the 1972 N.I. tour he was wounded in the foot by an IRA sniper. Whilst in Berlin, on lighter duties,
he looked after the Regimental swines (pigs). He was later discharged on the 28 September 1974. Barrie was a member of WFRA Worcester branch and his brothers George and Reginald both served in the Regiment.
TAYLOR
Mr Albert (Blondie) Taylor of the 1st Bn Cheshire Regiment, died 24 September 2020. He served with the Bn between 1961-67.
TAYLOR
23886812 LCpl Earnest George ‘’Spud’’ TAYLOR died on 6 April 2020 aged 76. He enlisted on 22 November 1961 and served with the 1st Bn The Sherwood Foresters
in NI, Colchester, and Cyprus until he was discharged on 22 November 1967. He then served with the TA in D Coy 3 WFR until 1974.
TERRY
Maurice Terry, who was known as Tony, tragically died of COVID-19 in hospital. He enlisted on 5 March
1964 into 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment. We have no details of his first
few years but are assuming that he would have served with them in Kenya, Dover, Berlin, Dover again, Bahrain, Sharjah and Osnabruck. He also served in Derry in 1974
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