Page 148 - The Chapka 2016

146 REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN)
that was being overrun. For his drive, initiative and daring in saving this company he was Mentioned in Dispatches. Donald continued to serve with ERY until the end of the War. The regi- ment was constantly in action crossing the River Seine, through Holland and Belgium, and including the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944. The regiment re-equipped with Buffaloes for the crossing of the Rhine and then went back to tanks for the drive into Germany and ending the war near Kiel by which time Donald was Adjutant. In this capacity he oversaw the ERY be- ing placed in suspended animation with all the Yeomanry regi- ments. At this point he married Trish and transferred to 16/5 Lancers joining the Regiment in the Canal Zone.
Trish and Donald were amongst the first families to join the Reg- iment after the war in the Canal Zone and moving on to Barce (near Benghazi) and Zavia (near Tripoli) in what would now be considered very basic married quarters. Throughout this time, Trish became a stalwart member of the Regimental Wives’ Club. Donald went to Shrivenham and became ptsc and re-joined the Regiment at Catterick. This was followed by a staff appointment at HQ FARELF Singapore and a final spell at regimental duty in Osnabruck.
Donald was made a Chevalier de Legion d’ Honneur awarded to the survivors of the D-Day landing on the 70th anniversary of the invasion. After leaving the army in 1969 Donald became the Bursar of Bedford School (his old school) where he served for twenty years. There have been no more loyal members of the regiment than Donald and his wife Trish.
JLP
Major MC Wilkinson
Major Michael Court Wilkinson died aged 80 on 7th September 2016. Com- missioned on 22nd October 1956 he fol- lowed his father into the Royal Artillery. In 1968, whilst his Battery was working in support of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales’s) in Osnabruck, he ac- cepted their invitation to rebadge.
Two years as Squadron Leader at Catterick included an inde- pendent command of the Armoured Squadron in Berlin; a sur- real and fun time in that city’s bizarre history. A time full of pranks, exceedingly good food and many visiting friends. Also, the extraordinary guarding of Spandau Jail with the strange task of guarding the Russians whose turn it was to guard Rudolf Hess.
The squadron then re-joined the regiment at Detmold. Mike moved on to a stint at the MOD working on Junior Training Policy, returning as 2IC in time for an unaccompanied tour to Northern Ireland, then returning to BAOR with all the usual military exercises and entertainment.
His final posting was to Bovington, followed by his first job as an RO with the Army School of Recruiting. The civilian staff always seemed willing to go the extra mile for him as he was for them. A major coup was persuading the Navy recruiting team to join the Army team at Bovington, creating a happy partnership for many years.
He filled his quiet retirement with support for many organisa- tions including the Army Cadets, SSAFA, ABF and as a trustee of the Regimental Museum. Mike was a constant and loyal serv- ant to the organisations and people with whom he was involved.
Born 22nd October 1935 in Gravesend, Kent and the eldest of five he witnessed the Battle of Britain beside barrage balloons in the Kent countryside, (a high point was when one became entangled in their orchard) and counting the V1 and V2 rockets heading for London. His twin brothers, Richard and Robert also
gained regular commissions joining The Royal Horse Guards and 11th Hussars respectively, whilst his brother Chris joined the Royal Marines.
While ADC to Gen Sir Roderick Macleod he met and married the daughter of a 24th Lancer, Eve Birch-Reynardson, who sur- vives him along with their son, daughter and grandchildren.
A mischievous, gentle gentleman and true countryman, he was a staunchly loyal supporter of the Regiment and in turn hugely appreciated the support of the Regimental family during his ill- ness. In the words of a former commanding officer. “Mike was the most honourable man I have ever known”.
HTCW
Major R Sandford-Fawcett TD
Richard was a most loyal member of the 16th/5th The Queen’s Royal Lancers having been commissioned as a National Service Officer in 1958. Sadly, he died on 15th August 2016 after a short and painful illness at Ludlow, Shropshire.
He joined 16/5L at a time when they
were one of the two Armoured Training regiments at Catterick. For someone who had been brought
up in the Buckinghamshire countryside Catterick, at that
time, was an ideal posting with hunting, sometimes three
days a week, and an army training ground/grouse moor on the doorstep. Richard was in his element, coupled with an exciting mess life and the Yorkshire social scene. From Catterick the regiment moved to Osnabruck in northern Germany and Richard went with it. In the intervening period the regiment was presented with a new Guidon by Her Majesty The Queen, Colonel-in-Chief, in the grounds of Buckingham Palace followed by a splendid ball at the Hyde park Hotel, both of which Richard attended. Osnabruck provided Richard with the opportunity to continue hunting with the Osnabruck drag hunt and to go skiing in the Hartz Mountains in southern Germany.
National Service and its attendant enjoyment eventually came to an end and Richard felt that he had to start taking life more seri- ously. On leaving 16/5L he became for a short while a London City stockbroker and then went into estate agency with John D Wood, also in London, where he became an associated partner dealing mostly in country homes and estates. Nevertheless, he did not lose his ties with 16/5L and through the Army Emer- gency reserve (AER) he spent two weeks a year with the regi- ment updating his military knowledge. On most occasions his two-week period coincided with the Regimental Hunter Trials in which he was fully employed!
His AER attachment lasted over 15 years and Richard climbed the promotional ladder to Major and was awarded the Territorial Decoration (TD). In time Richard courted and married Maggie who was working with Sotheby’s in London and between them they continued their love of the countryside, firstly with a week- end cottage in Buckinghamshire followed by the purchase of a small estate in Herefordshire, ending with a remote and lovely estate in Shropshire, Great Hagley, near the Welsh border. At all times they had dogs, mostly German Wire Haired Pointers, the last of which, Bruno, is still with Maggie.
Richard’s real sporting love was stalking Red Deer in Scotland over a variety of forests and estates and his head count amassed to over 50 stags, the heads of which adorned Great Hagley. Even on his Shropshire estate he was able to stalk Roe and the occa- sional Fallow Deer. Maggie and he took great pleasure following the United Hunt, near his home, to which they gave consider- able support. When hunting season was over they indulged in