Page 225 - The Bugle 2018

Obituaries
Mrs Margaret Andrews. Widow of Percy Andrews (ex 52nd WW2). For many years laid wreaths on behalf of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry at the Reichswald Cemetery and Hamminkeln Station. Died 2 September 2017.
2/Lt Anthony Lacey Askew (446862). National Serviceman from August 1955. Commissioned into the 1st Bn Oxfordshire & Bucking- hamshire Light Infantry on 10 March 1956. Served in No 6 Pl B Coy until August 1957. Died 26 December 2017.
Maj T D R D (David) Byrne (364596). Served from April 1946 to January 1965. Initially commissioned into the 1st Bn the Oxford- shire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, Support Coy Anti tank Platoon. 1952-53 Lt then Capt with Infantry Boys Bn, Tuxford, Notts. 1954-55 Coy Cmdr D Coy 1st Bn in Osnabruck. 1956-58 Staff College, Camberley then staff jobs in the War Office. 1960 at School of Infantry, Warminster. Promoted Major Oct 1960. Coy Cmdr C Coy 1GJ. 1962-63 HQ 2 Inf Brigade. Retired 21 Jan 1965. Active in the Country Landowners Association. Died 15 August 2017 aged 91.
Cpl Andrew Carr. Served as Quartermasters Clerk in HQ Coy 1st Bn Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in Cyprus 1956-58. Died 19.2.18.
Cpl Tony Durston. Served with 1st Bn Oxfordshire & Buckingham- shire Light Infantry for 3 years during the mid 1950’s. Signal Pl and CO’s driver. Died November 2017.
2/Lt Francois W Edwards (22085243/406069). National Service enlistment in 1948. Officer Cadet at Eaton Hall. Commissioned into 1st Bn Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry 27 August 1949. Arrived at Salonika on HMT Windrush 7 November 1949. Tombola Officer on the ship. Posted to C Coy at Training Camp at Khortiatis. To Cyprus at the start of 1950 landing at Famagusta the Oxf & Bucks formed the Garrison Bn at Wayne’s Keep, Nicosia. Francois was Basketball & Skiing Officer when they were in Cyprus and the Regimental Team won the Cyprus Ski Club Team Trophy at Troodos on 12 March 1950. He left the Regt on completion of his National Service 15 May 1950 and subsequently did well in business. Died 3 April 2018.
Cpl William R Ellam (23882385). Served in 4 RGJ from December 1967 until 1978. A retired teacher he died mid November 2017 aged 74.
Sjt Alfred Sidney Hester (5381433). Enlisted on 16 October 1933 into the 1st Bn Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, the 43rd. After completing an intensive course at the British Army School of Education he spent about two years as an Instructor with the 43rd prior to the war. Fighting with them in France and Belgium as part of the BEF in 1940 he was seriously wounded in an explosion and returned to the UK. Once recuperated he was posted to HQ Coy 6th Bn which was based mainly on the Isle of Wight from December 1940 until embarkation for France in June 1942.
Sid married his wife Ray on the island on 24 December 1942 but, no longer fit for active duty, he was discharged on 23 July 1943. He then worked for Morris Motors under the Ministry of Aircraft Production as Labour Manager for a couple of years before opening a café on the Isle of Wight. He sold the business and established a green grocers in London before emigration to Canada where he bought a farm near Brantford, Ontario in 1948. With the downturn in agriculture he went back to college in 1958 and qualified as a Public Health Inspector remaining in that line of work until retirement in 1980. In 2009 he visited the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum with his family and attended the RGJA Oxford Branch reunion at Abingdon where he was quite a star turn. He died peacefully at home on 23 January 2018 aged 102.
Lieutenant Phillip Henry Blyth MC
Born in St Albans, Henry was educated at Shrewsbury School where he discovered a love of rowing and Ancient Greek trans- lation which he described as like doing an amazing cross-word puzzle. For his National Service he was commissioned in August 1950 into the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, the regiment in which his father had served during both World Wars.
Attached to the 1st Battalion King’s
Shropshire Light Infantry, he was awarded an MC for outstanding bravery during the Korean War. During the campaign he was wounded in the leg when his platoon’s position was overrun but managed to crawl back from behind enemy lines during the general confusion. Once within ear-shot of our lines he began whistling “It’s a long way to Tipperary” as a precaution against being shot.
After his service finished he studied Classics and Theology at Queens College, Oxford and married Mary Bennett before teaching at Uppingham, Cheltenham and Lord William’s in Thame. In 1971 he was awarded a doctorate by Reading University for his research into the development of ancient Greek armour. Later he taught Classical studies at St Mary’s teacher training college in Twickenham until retirement in 1989.
A staunch member of the Labour Party from the age of 18 he enjoyed making as much of a scene about socialism as possible in what he called “hopelessly Tory” Thame and he bedecked the front of their large house, which looked down the High St, with Labour posters at every electoral oppor- tunity.
He continued to research and write until forced to stop by ill health but never lost his love for life. His enthusiasm and deep principles were an inspiration to all who knew him. Henry died peacefully at home on 8 June 2017 aged 86. He is survived by his wife and five children.
ONCE WITHIN EAR-SHOT OF OUR LINES HE BEGAN WHISTLING “IT’S A LONG WAY TO TIPPERARY” AS A
PRECAUTION AGAINST BEING SHOT
Pte Frank Bourlet (6853602). Enlisted in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps c1941 before transfer into the 2nd Bn Oxfordshire & Bucking- hamshire Light Infantry on 25th June 1942. As part of No 25 Platoon D Coy Frank was in Glider No 1 on the famous Coup de Main raid along with Major John Howard and his platoon commander Lt Den Brotheridge. After further service in Europe and Palestine Frank went to the reserve on 7 May 1948. Died 28th May 2018 aged 95.
THE RIFLES
REGIMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS 231