Obits Jun 07 - Issue 108

23989581 Cpl Peter Ives of Bedford on 17 Sept 2006 aged 60, after a long and painful illness that he endured with much courage. He served with the 1st Bn East Anglian and Royal Anglian Regts. Peter joined the East Anglian Bde and did his basic training at Depot Bury St Edmunds. In 1964 he was posted to A Coy in Aden before going on to serve in Celle in 1965-1968, returning to the UK under the BAOR withdrawal scheme, and subsequently in Londonderry. Demobbed in Aug 1970, his civilian career was spent in Security work, concluding as Dep Police Sgt at the Aircraft Research Association. He and Sally enjoyed walking in Yorkshire and as Pete was a great map reader they never got lost! A member of the Aden Veterans Association, Pete was a lovely considerate person, very warm and nothing was too much trouble. He had very high standards and was very respected at his place of work who went out their way to help his last months. Peter is survived by his widow Sally, daughters Lorraine and Linda, grandchildren Kate and Sian. Alan Cole
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Bill Dack of Kings Lynn, tragically and very suddenly at a ’bus stop in Kings Lynn, on 20 Oct 2006, aged 79.
He was the 2nd Bn, R Nfk Regt, Bugler during our service in India 1945-1947. After returning to the UK, aboard the MV Georgic in Aug 1947, he was posted to Bardney Airfield where the 2nd Bn was disbanded in early 1948. A true Norfolk County man, when Bill was demobbed in 1948 he was employed as an Engineer/Fitter at King’s Lynn Docks until he retired.
He married his Norfolk born wife Beattie and had two sons who all survive him. Bill was a regular attender of the ‘Independence of India 1947 Club’, supporting the annual gathering of 30 or so members of the 2nd Bn held in London at the Union Jack Club on or around 15 Aug to mark Indian Independence day, it being the date in 1947 on which the 2nd Bn sailed for home from Bombay in the ‘Georgic’ the first British regiment to leave India.
I was Guard Commander when Field Marshall Aukinleck visited the 2nd Bn at Victoria Barracks, Rawalpindi in 1946 and Bill played the Bn solid silver bugle. Ron Stokoe
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Afternote by Webmaster: Bill brought to the Aug 05 ‘Independence of India 1947 Club’ Lunch several items he had saved for over 50 years. Click here for an account and photographs

Bruce Fairclough, of Beccles, on 6 April 2007. He served as a Corporal with C Coy, 1 R Norfolk in Cyprus and Iserlohn, 1954-57. John Denny
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George RB Hall of Wigston, Leicester, on 16 March 2007. He was ex-2nd Bn serving in India and Burma and also a Dunkirk Veteran.
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Kenneth Robin Somerled Mackichan of Alicante, Spain, in Mar 07, aged 71. He served as an officer with 1 R Norfolk and then with 1 E Anglian from 1955. He left in 1959 to pursue a career in business. JLR
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Col John Murray Petit OBE of Malvern on 3 Jul 2006, 3 weeks after his 87th birthday. He served with the 1st and 2nd Bns, 1 E Anglian and with the R Anglian Regts. Born in Surrey, the son of Dr Christopher Petit of Sligo and Georgina, nee Brindley, of Sandymount, Dublin, Murray was educated at Avisford Prep School in Sussex and at Ampleforth in Yorkshire. In 1937 he joined a firm of Metal Brokers in the city and records: ‘Germany was one of the firm’s main customers and it was thought that if I were to be of any use I should be able to speak fluent German. I was immediately sent to a family in Hamburg. After a year my father called me home because of the worsening relations with Germany.’
Joining the 1st/6th East Surreys as a Pte soldier he was mobilised on 1 Sep 1939 with the Army Number 614309 and posted to A Coy, accommodated at the Richmond on Thames Drill Hall. They then moved to Lyme Regis and trained for active service operations with the BEF in France. In Dec 1939, as he held a Cert A from Officer Cadet Training at Ampleforth, Murray was posted to 164 OCTU at Aldershot. In May 1940 he was awarded an Emergency Commission in the R Norfolk Regt, joining the 2nd Bn who were reforming at Bradford after their evacuation from Dunkirk. Promoted temporary Captain in May 1941 and appointed as the Intelligence Offr to 4 Inf Bde, part of 2 Div, Murray embarked at Liverpool in Jan 1942. After 6 weeks at sea, the large convoy, comprising the entire 2nd Div, arrived in India. Their task was to train for the recovery of Malaya from the Japanese, involving much Combined Operations work. In Mar 1944 he was appointed GSO3 Ops in Bde HQ. Murray records: ‘Later that year the Div was flown, at very short notice, to Assam to halt the Japanese who were at the gates of India. After a fierce and prolonged battle at Kohima we halted their advance and gradually forced them onto the defensive. Eventually, they were forced to withdraw and we pursued them into Burma.’ Promoted temporary Major at the end of 1944, Murray became Bde Maj to 6 Inf Bde. ‘We were still in pursuit of the Japanese. When we reached the Irrawaddy River they were well dug in on the far bank in a strong defensive position. I helped plan the Bde assault crossing of the river against a resolute enemy. After a successful crossing we established a bridgehead. Soon afterwards, the Japanese withdrew. It was then decided that 6 Inf Bde should be airlifted back into India to prepare for a sea assault on Rangoon. When we arrived it was found the enemy had fled so we had an unopposed landing. Soon afterwards the Japanese surrendered and the war in the Far East ended.’ Returning to the UK at the end of 1945 he was made MBE for his 6 Bde services and in 1946 was granted a Regular Commission and posted to the 2nd Bn in India. After partition in 1947, Murray joined the Infantry Directorate at the War Office as a GSO3 Captain. After Staff College at Camberley in 1949, the award of his psc and promotion to Major, he was posted to the HQ AA Command at Stanmore, Middx as GSO2 Trg. In 1951 Murray attended the Coy Comds course at the School of Infantry, Warminster and in mid 1952 joined the 1st Bn in Korea as Battle Adjt. On completion of their tour of operational duties the Bn was posted to Hong Kong and he became OC Sp Coy. Between Aug 1954 and 1956 Murray served as GSO2 in the Military Operation Directorate at the War Office then returned to the 1st Bn, serving as a Coy Comd in Cyprus and BAOR. Returning to the UK in 1958, he took command of the Regtl Depot in Norwich Nov 1958-Jun 1959. On the amalgamation of the R Norfolk and Suffolk Regts, in 1959, forming the E Anglian Regt, Murray was the first Commander of the new joint depot at Bury St Edmunds. In Apr 1960 he returned to the staff and was appointed administrator (DAA&QMG) at the Staff College, Camberley as a local Lt Col. On promotion to Lt Col, Murray was posted as GSO1 HQ Combined Operations (later renamed as Joint Warfare Staff) to the new Ministry of Defence, serving there from Jun 1962 to Dec 1964. Returning to his 1941 roots as the Intelligence Offr to 4 Inf Bde, in Jan 1965 he was posted to Far East Land Forces and joined HQ Borneo Directorate Operations, responsible for the conduct of war against Indonesia, as GSO1 Intelligence. At the conclusion of that period of active service Murray was made OBE. Then followed an appointment in Malaya as Dep Comdt Terendak Garrison, 1966-1967, in which the Commonwealth Bde was stationed. Promoted to Col in 1967 on his return to the UK, Murray served with the Staff Duties Directorate in the MoD. After serving on the Defence Intelligence Staff, in charge of Navy, Army and Air Force Intelligence on the Warsaw Pact, in 1971 he became Dep Head of the Joint Intelligence Staff and Dep Sec to the Joint Intelligence Ctee in the Cabinet Office until retired in 1974. Murray was then transferred to the Civil Service as Higher Executive Offr and took up an RO1 post in the Cabinet Office as Duty Intelligence Offr. ‘In addition to these duties I also performed the function of Duty Offr at weekends for No 10 Downing St. My work was shared with 4 other retired offrs, each of us doing a spell of 24 hrs.’ Murray finally retired in 1984 at the age of 65. During his long service, he was made OBE and awarded the 1939/45 Star, Burma Star, UK Defence Medal, 1939/45 War Service Medal, Korean Campaign Medal, United Nations Korean Medal, Borneo Campaign Medal and the Territorial Army Medal.
Maj Peter Farrelly TD recalls: ‘He was charming, very competent, efficient and things were done without any fuss. Very good with young officers, he was well loved and liked by all ranks.’ At a Requiem Mass held at St Wulfstan’s Roman Catholic Church, Little Malvern, John Randle, son of Capt Jack Randle VC, represented the Regt, wearing a Royal Norfolk tie. John is survived by his widow Patricia, whom he married in 1947, 3 sons and a daughter. JLR and from notes by JMP
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Stan Rasberry, of Walton-on-Thames, on 6 Apr 2007, aged 87. He served with the 1st Bn 1939-46 and is mentioned in the book by Capt John Lincoln MC, ‘Thank God and the Infantry’, in an account by Erik Gray of being under fire at Pavée in Aug 1944.
Stan was a member of the London Branch as well as an Honorary Member of the 2nd Bn ‘Independence of India Club’.
His civilian career was as a Construction Manager. Dogs was also a passion. He was a familiar figure at many Regimental events, like carrying the Regimental Standard at the April Cenotaph Parade in London, at visits to Helmond to mark Anniversaries of The Royal Norfolk liberation of Helmond, and reading the Oration, and at the Normandy Memorial dedication in 2005.
In Nov 2002 at the Field of Remembrance Service at St Margaret's, Westminster, HM The Queen had a few words with Stan.
At the Jul 05 celebrations to mark VE and VJ Day, Stan and his wife were invited to have lunch with HM The Queen. He is survived by his widow Gwen and son Liam.
Stan was a Regimental Stalwart of the first order. Gen John Sutherell CB CBE said: ‘He was extraordinarily loyal and devoted.’ JLR
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Henry 'Harry' Stokes of Alton, Hampshire, very suddenly on 8 Apr 07, aged 80. He was with the 2nd Bn at Ramgarh, Calcutta, Sialkot and Rawalpindi prior to boarding the Georgic at Bombay in Aug 1947. Ron Stokoe
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Jim Wright of Cawston, in 2006, aged 87. He was the subject of the book ‘A Fearful Freedom’ by the late Maj Bob Hamond about Jim’s survival behind the lines in Japanese occupied territory 1942-1945. He was survived by his widow Kathie. JLR
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