The old guard passes : April - June 2023

We mark the passing of those who have served this country in its armed forces.

Contributions from comrades and relatives welcome.

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ARGLES (Dorothy) Jean Owtram 7 November 1925 - 2 April 2023 FANY secondeLater North Africad to SOE code and ciphers Cairo, Bari (Italy) Later Refugee Commission, then Rome

BASHFORD Frederick Vic (Victor) Bashford Arctic Star 26 December 1920 - 18 April 23 Ground crew. 615 Sqn France pre Dunkirk, RAF Kenley Battle of Britain. Last survivor Force Benedict 151 Wing Northern Russia maintaining Hurricanes. Later N Africa

BELL Wing Cdr William "Andrew" Bell died 22 April 23 aged 83

BLANE Dr Dudkey Charles Blane died 6 June 2023 aged 87 RAF

BORRIE L Cpl Alec (Alexander) Campbell Borrie 17 Aug 1924 - 21 May 23 Home Guard, 5th Bn Highland Light Infantry One of the last original members of SAS. Behind enemy lines post- D Day Op Plunder Netherlands and Germany. Wounded driving over land mine April 45

BOWLER Lt John Leslie Bowler MC 26 May 1932 - 19 March 23 1 Welch Nat Service Korea fighting patrols

BRANTON Lt Col Ian Henderson Branton OBE Royal Artillery died 19 June 23 aged 87

CARSON Col Rober Carson OBE RUR, R Irish died 18 April 23 aged 88

CARTER Cdr William John 'Jack' Carter OBE died 30 May 23

CATTININ Bombadier Joe Cattini 1923 -2023 One of the last who landed on Gold Beach on D-Day. Lorry driver. 86th Field Regt, RA

DANIELL Lt Col Francis Alan French Daniell died 5 May 25 qged 82. Royal Engineers

DAVIS Wg Cdr John Davis died 30 April 23 aged 89

DE'ATH Air Cdre John Graham De'ath MBE died 10 April 23 aged 90

EDEN Major John Arnold Eden MBE died 16 April 23 aged 89. Royal Artillery

FISHBOURNE Col Peter Charles Edward Fishbourne died 25 June 23 Scots Dragoon Guards

HAZAN Captain Ray Hazan OBE 8 Feb 1945 - 2 April 23 2nd Bn Royal Anglian Regt Cyprus Blinded, lost right hand, by parcel bomb Londonderry. Later Presidents St Dunstan's (Blind Veterans UK)

HERBERT Wing Cdr Patrick Herbert OBE died 2 May 23

HILL Fred Hill DFC died March 23 aged 101. 87 missions as Bomber Command pilot

HOWLETT Air Vice Marshal Neville Stanley Howlett CB died 7 June 23 aged 96

HUBERMAN Alfred Huberman 15 June 1923 - 22 Feb 23 Batle of Cable Street aged 13 Air gunner 38 Wartime missions 576 Sqn Wellingtons inc raid on V3 site 625 Sqn Op Exodus, 82 Sqn Pathfinders

JACKSON Brig John Albert Jackson MBE, GM died 13 June 2023 aged 87. RAOC

JOHNSON Brig Peter Dunbar Johnson OBE died 7 April 23 aged 91

JOPLIN Flyg Off Arthur William Joplin23 Oct 1923 - 21 March 23 Legion d'Honneur Royal NZAF 617 Sqn 2 raids on Tirpitz inc sinking Op Catechism. Further raids on dams, U boat pens, Wounded when crashed on landing in fog after raid on synthetic olil Politz Poland, Blamed, cleared 70 years later

KELLY Captain John Stuart Kelly RN OBE 16 April 1938 - 19 June 23 Helicopter pilot. 848 Sqn HMS Bulwark Borneo. HMS Albion. CO 846,847 Sqn inc Malaysia. CO HMS Llandalf. Falklands  EO HMS Fearless but flew as Sea King co pilot Director of Naval Security

LAWSON Sir Richard George Lawson KCB, DSO, OBE 24 Nov 1927 - 9 May 23 4RTR Egupt, Sudan, Iraq Congo (with 3rd (Nigerian) Infantry Bgde rescuing civilians (DSO Aden Cdr 5RTR , Cdr 20th Armd Bgde , Cdr !st Armd Divn Germany GOC N Ireland C in C Allied Forces Nortthern Europe

LIMBU Captain Rambahadur Limbu VC MVO 1 November 1939 -22 April 023 Queen's Gurkhas, First VC of Queen Elizabeth's reign. Remembered in the Gurkhas as a soldier of great integrity and outstanding sense of duty and dignity. Part of his citaton read (Lance Cpl Limbu)"displayed heroism, self-sacrifice and devotion to duty and to his men of the very highest order...a zenith of determined, premeditated valour which must count as amongst the most notable on record"(November 1965, Western Sarawak)

MASTERSON Col Lary J Masterson RADC died April 2023 aged 86

MCDONALD Warrant Officer Harold McDonald 4 Oct 1918 - 21 March 23. Ground crew 242 Sqn (Hurricanes) Java. Captured March 42. Possibly last survivor of Japanese PoW camps. Post war Egypt, Malta, Singapore RAF Fairford Concorde trials

MCLEOD Captain W Hamish H McLeod RN, OBE died 7 April 2023 aged 91

MILLER Lt Cdr Alastair Miller OBE died 28 April 23 aged 80

NICOL Col Dr (Andrew) Graeme Nicol 28 January 1935 - 30 April 23 National Service RAMC attached to 2Para. Qualified and joined 22SAS as medic. Oman. Later Terrirorial and climber

OTTEWELL Sgt John Ottewell  Navigator 115 Sqn 7Sqn Pathfinders over 50 missions

PACKER Sgt Mark Charles Packer MM 18 July 1923 - 24 March 2023 RM commando. Last survivor of the liberation of Port-en-Bessin on D-Day. Immediate MM approved by Montgomery

PARRY WO1 Melvyn (Mel) Parry QGM 2 December 1946 - 21 May 23 Junior Leaders, &th (Airborne) RHA, aged 19 selected for 9 (Mountain) Troop SAS. Aden, Dhofar war, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong etc Op Nimrod (Iranian Embassy Siege) 21 SAS (reserves training)

PAYNE Able Seaman John Edwyn Payne BEM 16 March 1925 - 16 April 2023 Fire warden (aged 14) Royal Navy P Party 1571 Group divers last known survivor. D Day harbour underwater clearance Cherbourg, Dieppe, Le Havre, Rouen, Antwerp, Bremen, Dunkirk. Later officer Sea Cadets

PONSONBY AVM John Ponsonby OBE died March 23 aged 67 Rifleman Royal Green Jackets, commissioned. Gibralter. 664 Sqn Army Air Corps Transferred to RAF as Flt Lt. 78 Sqn RAF Falklands i/c 27 Sqn I/Cc, Support Helicopter Force Bosnia i/c Stn Cdr RAF Aldegrove ADC to HWQ AOC 22 (Trg) Gp

REECE Col Peter Henry Reece DSO 1 June 1937 - 20 Jan 23 Royal Welch Fusiliers Cyprus/EOKA Londonderry MiD Germany i/c 1RWF Belfast most decorated btn for single tour of N Ireland campaign MoD liason with Intelligence Services

SIMEONE Reginald Nicola Simeone CBE died 30 June 23 aged 95 Admiralty and UKAEA

SIMPSON Lt Col John Patrick Waller Simpson died 6 May 23 aged 84 Royal Engineers

STENLAKE Captain Richard Stenlake RN died 26 May 23 aged 84

TARVER Cdr Allan Leigh Traver GM 29 June 1938 - 23 March 2023 Fleet Air Arm 890 NASqn HMS Ark Royal engine failure on take off Sea Vixen. GM attempting to safe life of observer/navigator whose ejector seat failed

TILLOTSON Maj Gen Henry Michael Tillotson CB, CBE 12 May 1928 - 17 May 23 Later military writer 1MiD .1st Bn E Yorks Austria . Attached to Foreign Legion Vietnam,(Croix de Guerre with palms). Singapore during Confrontation. S Arabia Military Intelligence at MoD.1 PWO i/c Cyprus. Hong Kong. CoS UK Land Forces

TROTMAN Col Timothy Lionel Trotman died 8 April 23 aged 86.

WALKER Air Marshall Dr David Walker CB, CBE, AFC 30 October 1956 - 18 June 23 aged 66. Harrier pilot. 4 Sqn RAF Gutersloh. CO I Sqn Op Provide Comfort Iraq. China Lake. MA to Armed Fiorces Ministers.  CO RAF Cottesmore - introduced "Thursday War". Jt Force Harrier Expeditionary air forces Afghanistan and Iraq. ACoAS  Cdr 1Group. NATO Later President RBL, Commonwealth War Graves Commission

WAKERLEY Wg Cdr David Glyn Wakerley died 27 March 23

WILCOCKS Rear Adm Philip Wilcocks CB, DSC 14 April 1953 - 9 April 2023 Dartmouth best cadet. HMS Torquay, HMS Ambuscade (Falklands), 3rd Destroyer Sqn, staff FOST, Captain HMS Liverpool, DNO, Op Palliser, PJHQ, Chief of Staff (Capability) to C in C Fleet