Page 149 - The Royal Lancers Chapka 2018

REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN) 147
Jamie is hugely missed by friends, colleagues and members of the Regiment. However, our deepest sympathies are with Mary Anne, Annie, Katty and Charlie, mother Heather and sister Al- exandra on the loss of a truly devoted husband, father, son and brother.
Kong in 1975 and, but for a brief two years back in UK, spent 16 years in the Colony, first as a handicapper but later assuming ex- tensive responsibilities both as Senior Handicapper and for the management of the Colony’s two principle racecourses, Happy Valley and Sha Tin.
Finally retiring in 1991, Michael and his family led a peripatetic life, living in a variety of houses in Spain, France and UK before finally settling in Hinton St George six years ago. Sadly the early stages of Alzheimers soon became apparent, leading to Michael’s death on 3rd December 2018.
Trooper G L Smiles
CPH and HGR
Gordon sadly passed away on 18th November 2018 aged 81, he was an enthusiastic and well-travelled sup- porter of the Regimental Associa- tion culminating in 12 years as the standard bearer for the QRL Regi- mental Association. Born 12th Feb- ruary 1937 in Cullercoats, Gordon at the age of 16 enlisted into the army and initially joined the Coldstream Guards. He served as a guardsman in Drums (Anti-Tank) Platoon, then when on a winters exercise in BAOR
Trooper T Hopkins
AWD
Terry Hopkins sadly passed away 24th December 2018 at the age of 40, leaving his wife Leanne and three children. Terry joined the 9/12L aged 17 and completed six years of service with the regiment, seeing op- erational service with NATO in Bos- nia on two occasions, he was a stal- wart lancer. After his military service Terry left the army and joined the police force where he continued to serve his country and community, reaching the rank of detective in-
he came across the regiment and the advantages to be found in- side a Centurion Tank; that was motive enough for him to apply for a transfer to the 17/21L. In 1957, Gordon found himself post- ed to 2nd Troop, A Squadron, 17/21L as a Centurion driver and Regimental Drummer. Very much against his wishes, Gordon’s army career came to an abrupt end when in 1960 he was medi- cally discharged. Prior to this in December 1958 Gordon mar- ried Anne, to be his wife for almost 60 Years. Post-discharge Gor- don supported his wife and expanding family of three children by becoming a HGV driver interspersed with being an offshore fisherman. Gordon’s first passion was drumming, in civilian life he coached youth players and played the drums himself for many years in social clubs around the North East of England. His second love was travelling around England and Europe with Anne in their caravan which was seen at many in OCA events. I first met Gordon (and Anne) at a regimental reunion dinner in the mid 80’s, we quickly formed a strong friendship to which I adopted him as my “Old Comrade”, a relationship that lasted over 30 Years. Rest in Peace, Duty Done, Or Glory.
NO
Major MCH Price
Michael Price’s working life was divided neatly into two parts. First as a soldier and later in the racing world.
Michael developed a passion for racing at an early age due to the wisdom of a particularly irascible racehorse trainer called “Frenchie” Nicholson. Nicholson’s horses had to pass daily up the lane behind Michael’s home near Cheltenham where Mi- chael was often to be found playing tennis against the window- less wall of his house – the effect on flighty thoroughbreds can be imagined. But rather than lose his temper, Nicholson persuaded Michael to drop his racquet and come and inspect his stables before taking him to spend a day at Cheltenham Races. The boy was hooked and from that day on started making his own assess- ment of the relative merits of racehorses – a handicapper had been born. Indeed he had tried to enter racing journalism on leaving school but was advised to spend some time in the Army and come back to racing later on, via the Jockey Club.
So, in 1952, Michael began a happy and varied 18 years of sol- diering in the 16th/5th Lancers. He served with the Regiment in Libya, Germany and England, in his final tour commanding C Squadron in Fallinbostel. He also did three ERE appoint- ments spending two years apiece as ADC to CBF Hong Kong, as Staff Captain A with the King’s African Rifles in Kenya and as a GSO2 in Canadian Forces HQ in Ottawa.
Michael retired from the Army in 1970, to start a career in the racing world as a Jockey Club Handicapper. He moved to Hong
spector. Terry was highly regarded and respected as both a police officer and soldier and this was evident at his funeral, when over 700 people came to say their goodbyes. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
CH
Lieutenant Colonel R Brown MBE
Ron (as he was always known) was born in 1926 in Enfield. At the age of 20 he was called up for National Ser- vice and after basic training was sent with a draft to Alexandria in Egypt. There the recruits were asked to name a regiment of their choice (not that it made any difference to the fi- nal selection) and thus Ron was al- lotted to the 17/21L then stationed in Salonika. As he said at the time the general opinion was that Greece sounded good, the skull and cross-
bones even better but to ride a horse — hell’s teeth! (the draft sergeant had threatened them with this form of punishment). A short stay in Salonika was followed by transfer to Palestine were the conflict between Arabs and Jews, the latter in their newly established state, was at its height. In Palestine he earned an A grade on a wireless course and was promoted to corporal instruc- tor and then shortly afterwards to sergeant on the regiment’s move to Catterick as a training regiment. Continuing, as an in- structor in the Wireless Wing, he then moved with the regiment to Munster, Germany as troop sergeant of 1st Troop, C Squadron. Later he was promoted to be regimental signals sergeant and then in 1955 to warrant officer class II on posting to The Cam- bridge University Officer Training Corps. On return to the regi- ment he became SSM of A Squadron on the move to Hong Kong and then RQMS in Aden. When the regiment returned to Sen- nelager, Ron was promoted to RSM were under his firm but fair hand the regiment quickly came together again.
In 1965 Ron was commissioned to assume the appointment of Motor Transport Officer and then he was posted to Queen’s University Belfast Officer Training Corps so that he spent more time at university than the average undergraduate. Once com- missioned he saw service in Northern Ireland with the regiment as QM. Then followed relocation to Wolfenbuttel in Germany to