Page 153 - Mercian Eagle 2014

Victor Stevenson (23786540)
Vic Stevenson died peacefully on 6th August 2014 in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, aged 72. He was born on 27th September 1941 and served from 10th June 1960 until 21st August 1964 in 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment. This included the period in Colchester and Kenya. After he left the Army he worked for Staffordshire Potteries in Meir. He was remembered as
a devoted family man, with strong moral values. His funeral took place in St. James Church, Normacott and he was buried in Longton Cemetery on 22nd August 2014. Our condolences go to his wife Nellie, son Vic and daughter Jacqueline.
Richard Young
Richard Young died suddenly on 30th March 2014 aged 79. He served in The South Staffordshire Regiment and was a member of both Hednesford and Wolverhampton Branches of The Staffordshire Regiment Association.
People connected with the Regiment
Kay Coghill
Kay Coghill died on 3rd February 2014 aged 79. She was married Tom Coghill, an officer in The North Staffordshire Regiment, who went onto become a Colonel and Chairman of the Staffordshire Regiment Museum Trustees. Kay was born 6th January 1935 and married her husband in 1955, so served with him in various Army postings including Minden, Kenya and Dover. When Tom retired from the Army she worked
for St. Mary’s Centre in Lichfield and was a volunteer at the Staffordshire Regiment Museum for many years, long after her husband’s death in 1999. Her funeral took place St. Peter’s Church, Elford and there was a strong congregation which included many officers and wives.
Audrey Jones
Mrs Audrey Jones who was the wife of the late WO2 Wilf Jones died on 20th July 2014.
Mrs Helen McLean
Helen McLean was the wife of Major Mac McLean of The Staffordshire Regiment and died on 15th December 2013, aged 79 . She had not been well for the previous two years. They were a much liked couple in the Regiment as they served throughout the 1960s – 1970s. Finally Mac was posted to Fallingbostel in 1986–7 as Unit Families Officer and Helen was Secretary of the Teachers’ Mess. They were an extremely generous couple and their house became
a social hub in itself, one of the most active in the Garrison and they are remembered very fondly by all who served with them at the time. Helen’s funeral took place at King’s Lynn Crematorium on 6th January 2014.
Gwen Pritchard Gordon
Gwen Pritchard-Gordon died peacefully in her home in the early hours of Monday 28th April, aged 100. Gwen was born on 17th May 1917 and married Major John Pritchard-Gordon
of The South Staffordshire Regiment in Folkestone in 1938. There will be few people who served in the Regiment from 1938 until
John’s death in 1992, who will not know Gwen, as she was a much loved Regimental wife and played an active role in supporting her husband and being a part of the Regimental family. She was in India at the start of WW2 and returned on a convoy. Their ship had a technical problem and left the convoy for repairs in West Africa. The rest of the convoy suffered terrible losses, so the Captain sailed alone and took the most obscure route possible and after many days at sea finally made it home. Their house had a reputation for being open all hours. When John retired from the Army he devoted much time to the Regimental Association and Gwen continued to attend numerous Regimental events.
She also supported his work for SSAFA for over thirty years. In her last few years she became housebound, but remained mentally alert and was well read and knowledgeable about current affairs. Her funeral took place
at St. Giles Church Whittington and was absolutely packed. People spoke movingly about her generosity and her ability to guide younger people, she was known to many
as ‘The Mother of the Regiment’, because
of her hospitality to all serving and retired officers many of whom either stayed at or visited their home, Ivy Cottage in Whittington village. Henry Blofeldt interrupted his cricket commentary on the Test Match of 17th
May 2013 to say, ‘congratulations to Gwen Pritchard-Gordon, who today, is 100 not out.’ John Chandler heard in Australia and sent her a personal telegram off congratulations. She is survived by her four sons.
then joined 1 Worc R in Normandy as a reinforcement on 5 July 1944, by which time he had been advised to change his name
to Everitt. He was wounded on 9 August and evacuated. On recovering he joined a Psychological Warfare unit until released. On return to England he completed his degree at Oxford and worked on the Economist. In 1951 he emigrated to New York where he had a very successful career in investment banking. He was awarded the OBE in 1987.
EVANS Major RFB MC
Of Whitbourne, Worcestershire, died on 11 May 2014 aged 97. He enlisted in 1940 and was commissioned into the Worcestershire Regiment in 1941. He was wounded on
17 March 1943 while serving with 6 Green Howards at Mareth, Tunisia while leading
a raid on a strongly held enemy position. The citation reads “He led his men through an uncleared minefield and onto the enemy position through machine gun fire with magnificent dash, took the position and captured 30 prisoners.” He was wounded a second time in Italy in August 1944 while in command of a DLI company. He was released in 1946 after further service in Germany.
Worcester and Sherwood Foresters
ALLEN Wendy Dr
Wife of the late Lt Col Ken Allen, Regimental Secretary WFR 1980-87, passed away on December 2013.
BECKWORTH John Alan Pte 23761722
Of The Meadows, Nottingham on 14 November 2013 aged 74. As a National Serviceman John joined the 1st Battalion The Sherwood Foresters on 4 February 1960 and served until 1962 in Malaya
and Northern Ireland. After demobilisation he worked as a lathe turner for a light engineering company and he then took up employment at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Nottingham.
BIRD John Pete 22587235
Of Worcester on 29 September 2012 aged 79. This is a re-entry as the photograph in the 2013 edition was wrongly placed at the side of another soldier. The Editor apologies for this error.
CHARMER William CSgt 19030555
Of Ludlow, Shropshire died on 15 November 2013 aged 89. He joined the Royal Marines in 1942, served in Burma 1944-45 and then in the South Staffords before serving with 1 Worc R in Berlin and Malaya. He then served on secondment
to the Kenya Regt in Rhodesia and Kenya during the Mau Mau Emergency, in Iserlohn and British Honduras with 1 Worc R, at the Depot at Norton as an instructor, and in Minden with 1 Worc R. He was discharged in 1968.
EBERSTADT Major WA OBE
Died in New York on
26 February 2014 aged 92. He was born in Frankfurt, Germany and moved with his parents to England in 1936 to escape Nazi persecution. He was interned on
the outbreak of war in 1939 as an enemy alien. To escape this he enlisted as a private in the Royal Pioneer Corps and was commissioned in 1942. When aliens were allowed to join active units he transferred to the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry and
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