Page 91 - KRH Regimental Journal 2021

The Regimental Journal of The King’s Royal Hussars 89
had Tony’s two younger brothers to stay in Government House for six weeks while the family found somewhere to live, the Scott family home in Kent having taken a direct hit during the war from a V1 ‘Doodlebug’.
They settled on the edge of Salisbury Plain, running a large dairy herd across the training areas and spending many hours in the saddle. Tony had decided to join the Army, but the five year UK domicile requirement before he could start two years training at Sandhurst precluded a Regular Commission because of his age. So he took a sixteen year Intermediate Regular Commission and went to Mons Officer Cadet School for six months instead. He was commissioned into the 14th/20th King’s Hussars, follow- ing his mother’s first cousin, Gerald Scott, who had served in the Regiment throughout the 1930s and ‘40s, and Tony joined C Squadron on Soltau Training Area in April 1967.
The following year he married Sally Woodhouse, the daughter of Lt Col RAG Woodhouse, a distinguished Regimental officer and highly accomplished horseman, who fought with the 14th Hussars throughout WW1 and was the last surviving officer to have been commissioned directly into the Regiment. Having only recently joined the Regiment himself, Tony was very sym- pathetic to the new arrivals who came soon after him and he and Sally became known as extremely generous and welcoming hosts to junior subalterns arriving in Paderborn: and while they were there they became parents with the arrival of their first child, Alice.
After a spell in RHQ as Assistant Adjutant, Tony joined B Squadron for the move to Hong Kong, where the birth of his son Charles completed the family. He spent the next two years as Assault Troop Leader, in which role his extreme fitness and enthusiasm were particularly useful, and he played tennis for the Combined Services Team against Portugal and Australia. On leaving Hong Kong he was posted to the Army Apprentice College for two years. A keen fisherman in an undemanding job, he found this an ideal opportunity to develop his skills at making his own flies and built himself a splendid selection which served him well for many years afterwards. He rejoined the Regiment on its move to Herford in 1974 and initially served in B Squadron again, before taking up various appointments in RHQ, bringing to each his considerable reserves of energy and enthusiasm, never more so than in his role as NBC Officer.
When the Regiment moved to Bovington, he returned to B Squadron and took on the important but uninspiring role of managing the RAC Centre training vehicle fleet, a duty which, when done well, was easily overlooked and seldom earned praise, but in which mistakes could draw widespread criticism. However, as with everything he did, Tony brought total commitment and a deep rooted attention to detail to the task.
When the Argentinean Junta decided to invade the Falkland Islands in early 1982 at the height of the Cold War and with BAOR very much the focus of British military effort, there were very few Spanish speakers in the Forces. So when the MOD decided to set up a radio station to broadcast to the occupying troops and their families at home, Tony, as a qualified interpreter and a Civil Service Examiner, was quickly identified as a key player in what became Radio Atlantico del Sur. Happily he was able to recruit his sister and his cousin to the team and he became the team’s anchor and Latin American expert, ensuring correct local phrase- ology, subject matter and detail.
It was fortunate that the Falklands War came when it did because Tony’s commission ended six months later and he took a job in sales to Latin America at Westland Helicopters in Yeovil. However, sometime later, Westlands hit a tricky patch, which not only saw the resignation of the Secretary of State for Trade and
Industry (Michael Heseltine), but also led to Tony’s departure. In the years that followed he mixed business with pleasure, tak- ing fishing trips to South America, coaching tennis locally and at nearby schools and taking particular delight, as his children grew up, in his son’s decision to follow him into the Regiment.
Meanwhile, he and Sally continued expanding their lovely Dorset home at Woodwalls in Corscombe. This had started many years earlier as a not particularly prepossessing keeper’s cottage in sev- eral acres of lovely countryside. But, by the time they left for somewhere a bit smaller a few years before Tony’s death, it had become a truly lovely home where they entertained most gener- ously and where Tony’s widely acknowledged kindness and cour- tesy were always very much in evidence.
Captain T D Holderness-Roddam
14th/20th King’s Hussars 1961 - 1966
Tim Holderness-Roddam joined the 14th/20th King’s Hussars at Hohne in 1961, during our last days as an Armoured Regiment before converting to the Armoured Reconnaissance role and moving to Libya. Tall, good-looking and radiating a justified self-confi- dence, he quickly gained both the affection and respect of his troop in A Squadron and of his fellow subalterns. Without in any way being over-serious about life it was clear that he was an exceptional troop leader, showing more matu- rity and drive than most. His energy was such that he had plenty
of spare capacity and was a competent Polo player, being in the Army Subalterns team against the Royal Navy in Malta and play- ing for A Squadron when they won the Inter-Squadron competi- tion. Among other things he was Officers’ Mess Food member and Regimental Gardens Officer, no easy task in the hot, dry cli- mate of Benghazi.
He also found time to take his troop on an expedition to Kufra in the heat of the Libyan Summer. There is a motorable road there now, but in the early sixties it was rougher going with plenty of sand dunes, so his troop felt they had achieved something worthwhile.
In 1965 he left Benghazi having been selected to be ADC to Major General John Frost, of Arnhem fame, who was our GOC in Malta. He was much missed by us all as a cheerful and charming com- panion, always willing to take the initiative in soldiering, social or sporting activities. However, not only was he good at his job but as the General’s ADC he was of the greatest help in organizing sport and fun for any officer who managed to get to Malta – which was a social paradise compared to the austerity of Libya. It was also apparent that in his junior but influential position he was sometimes able to smooth over differences between the Regiment and its superior Headquarters!
Tim left the Army shortly after we returned to Perham Down, Tidworth, in 1966, and started what was to be his exceptionally successful career in business, working for Tate and Lyle. Starting as Night Foreman he was successively promoted and became managing Director of United Molasses. In addition, he became a Director of the very superior travel agents Abercrombie and Kent.
TPS