Page 169 - RAPTC Number 102 2018/19

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BEYOND THE GYM
IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED AWAY IN THE LAST YEAR
Jeffrey (Turps) Geldard – 21 Jun 18 Norman Upton – 11 Sep 18 Tim Johnston – 03 Oct 18
EX-LIEUTENANT COLONEL ALAN DUXBURY (1934-2017)
Lt Col Brett Alan Duxbury (Son)
Alan Duxbury was born on 28 March 1934 in a 2-up-2- down in Accrington, Lancashire, and was one of 5 siblings. Throughout his life he never forgot his humble beginnings and remained a devoted Lancastrian, with tales of the mills and his walks in the Pennines as a young boy. He mentioned that the family had a whip-round to get enough money together to buy his first pair of football boots, which ultimately led to him representing BAOR at football from 1964 to 66 and qualifying as a Class-1 FA Coach.
Alan Duxbury joined the Army on 21 May 1955 and was enlisted into the Parachute Regiment, which was going to fully test his fitness. He ended up as Best Recruit and became an AIPT working in the Gym with 2 Para. He saw active service in the Suez campaign before he transferred to the APTC on 12 Jun 1957. As a young SI his early postings took him to the Depot of The Loyals, 68 Regt RA and 17 Regt RA.
With a 34 year career, it wouldn’t be possible to list all the units or locations where he served, but there were 10 units as an NCO & WO and 6 as an Officer. It was when he was with the RA Training Depot in Oswestry that he met his wife, Brenda. In the 1960’s he also spent time with Western Command School of PT and HQ 1 Div that started a long period with the BAOR in Germany, as well as tours in NI during the early days of the troubles where, typical of Alan, he went on street patrols with the Queens Own Highlanders when he could have stayed in the Gym. He was with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards in Herford in 1972 when they recorded Amazing Grace and actively supported the Regimental Band as they produced this number one hit.
Whilst the Divisional Warrant Officer of Physical Training at HQ 1 Div in Verden, BAOR, he was selected to return to Aldershot as the APTC RSM. He was commissioned on 12 Jul 1976 and served in Gibraltar for two years where he spent a lot of time officiating boxing, a sport he spent a significant amount of time with throughout his career. Alan then returned to Germany again to serve in HQ 2 Div, Lübbecke, BAOR. He came back to UK in 1983 to HQ NE District, and served in York before moving to HQ Scotland in Edinburgh. His final tour was on promotion to Lt Col when he went back to Germany as Senior MAA with HQ (G) PT Branch, in Bielefeld BAOR.
When he retired from the Army on 20 Jan 1989 Alan became the Recruiting Officer for Cheshire, responsible for the Army Career Offices in Chester, Crewe and Warrington. He settled back in Oswestry at the Park Hall camp where he had originally met Brenda in 1962. He loved his home and became a popular member of the community.
Alan showed strength and love right up to his last days with his family. His medical consultant wrote in his final letter that “as is usually the case, Mr Duxbury made very little of anything being
wrong at all, although conversations with his wife and GP had clearly indicated a worsening of his condition”.
Finally, my Dad, Alan Duxbury was hard working, strong, proud and loving, as well as a gentleman, but he will also be remembered for his fantastic sense of humour - as well as always doing what was right. He loved his family and was massively devoted to his wife Brenda, his daughter Lorraine and to me, as well as his four Grandchildren.
Alan Duxbury died on 25 July 2017 and is missed beyond words by us all.