His military service began as a commissioned officer within the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve of the Royal Armoured Corps (Queen’s Own Yeomanry) in 1973, and ultimately saw him appointed as Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Reserves and Cadets) in 2004 in the rank of Major General with responsibility for 50,000 Reservists and 138,000 Cadets. He was appointed Knight of the Garter in 2003 and Companion of the Order of the Bath in 2008 for his military service, and became Deputy Commander Land Forces (Reserves) shortly before his retirement from the Reserve Forces in 2012.
In 1995, he appeared as the guest on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs broadcast, describing himself as ‘only a mere flicker in the process of time and the process of history’, and wherein discusses the importance of motivation at a young age, his tremendous fondness for the Territorial Army, and the importance of being given the opportunity within the Army of proving oneself against one’s peers. His passion for the great outdoors is evident, choosing an island not in the tropics but on the west coast of either Ireland or Scotland, where he could hear the crashing of the waves, feel the rain on his face, and experience first hand the changing of the seasons.
He was a most loyal friend to the Ulysses Trust, and we would like to extend our sincere condolences to his family for their untimely loss. He will be sorely missed by all.