RAOC Gazette - page 119
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1978 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | No |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1978 |
| Late date | 1978 |
| Transcription |
otitH ENGAGEMENTS DAVIES—DAVIES.—The engagement is announced between Nigel elder son of Lieutenant Colonel and Mrs R. H. Davies, of 35, Ercall Lane, Wellington, Telford, and Philippa, only daughter of Colonel and Mrs G. L. Davies of IS, Humber Way, Donninglon, Telford. DAVIES—HOPKINS.—The engagement is announced between Gareth, son of Colonel and Mrs G. L, Davies of 18, Humber Way, Donnington, Telford, and Jane, daughter of Mr and Mrs F. Hopkins of Preston Priory, Preston, Ledbury, Herefordshire. EVANS—CLAYTON. The engagement is announced between Anthony, son of Major and Mrs T. E. Evans of Ware in Hert- fordshire, and Isabel, daughter of Mr and Mrs Clayton of Great Malvern, Worcestershire. WOODS-FORDINGBRIDGE—WILFORD —Colonel and Mrs M. J. W. Woods-Fordingbridge, announce the engagement of their daughter, Gillian Mary Elizabeth, to Peter, eldest son of Mr and Mrs C. Wilford of Englefield Green, BIRTHS COLLYER.—On 4th January 1978, at RAF Hospital, Wegberg, to Anne Marie and WOl Peter Collyer, a son Kristian Walter, half brother to Ian, Andrew and Paul. DAVY.—On 3rd March 1978, at St Peters Hospital, Chertsey, to Lindsay (nee' Christopherson) and Major Rodger Davy, a daughter Jessica Anne. WHITTAKER.—On 24th January 1978, at BMH Munster, to Angle and Private Steve Whittaker, a daughter Yolanda Joy. DEATHS COX,—On 11th February 1978, at Silchester, Hants, Ex WOl R. Cox. HAYNES — On 17th February 197S, at Weymouth General Hospital, after a brief illness, Lieutenant Colonel L. R. E. Haynes RAOC (Retd), beloved husband of Mary and dear father of Janet JOHNSON.—On 4th March 1978, peacefully at home after a short illness, Brigadier Roy Frank Johnson, aged ninety, beloved husband of Patricia and dear father of Giles and Prue. LOVE.—On 6th February 1978, peacefully at home, Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Robert Stuart Love RAOC (Retd), dearly loved husband of Marjorie (Jill), father of Heather and Val. LYSLE,—On 24th February 1978, at 130 Station Hospital, US Army, Heidelberg, Germany, David Andrew, three months old son of Staff Sergeant and Mrs F. T. Lysle. REIDY.—On 16th February 197S, at St Barbaras Klinik, Heesson, Germany, as the result of a traffic accident, Private J. Reidy. SELLARS.—On 15th February 1978, in hospital, Colonel Charles Sellars, CBE, DSO (Retd). SMITH.—On 5th February 1978, at Infirmary, Royal Hospital, Chelsea, In-Pensioner, WOl G. Smith, MBE. SPIKE.—On 26th February 1978, after a courageous fight, Else, dearly loved wife of Major Maurice Spike RAOC (Retd). The funeral took place at Buchholz/Aller, Western Germany on 2nd March 1978. THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE have informed us of the death of the following Officer, late RAOC. CALLINGHAM.—On 23rd December 1977, Captain J. H. Callingham, COLONEL C. SELLARS, CBE MAJOR GENERAL B. D. JONES writes: — Charles Sellars died in Stoke Mandeville Hospital on 16th February, 1978. A Yorkshireman, he joined the Corps in September 1939 from the Emergency Reserve and spent the major part of his service either with vehicles or their parts. During the war he served in the Middle East, was twice Mentioned in Despatches and was awarded the OBE in April 1945. Later, after a spell as Deputy Commandant at Head- quarters Vehicle Organisation he went to Singapore to com- mand the Base Ordnance Depot in 1952; it was for his services there that he was awarded the CBE in 1954. He then became my Deputy Commandant at COD Didcot in 1955 where we served together for the next three years. Finally Charles went back to Mechanised Transport Organisation and retired from there. He then went to live in the area of Leigh ton Buzzard. Charles was a big man, not only physically, as became a former Headingly forward, but also in his thinking and in his devotion to his work. He won his way to the top by sheer determination and hard work. Whatever he did he did it with all his might. He was a most loyal friend. His devoted wife, Margaret, died a few years ago and our sympathy goes out to his daughter, Jennifer, in her sad loss. * * * MAJOR GENERAL C. H. McVITTlE writes: — I did not meet Charles Sellars till I was posted to Chilwell in 1946. He was then commanding a Vehicle Group. I came to know him very well. He was a very experienced Vehicle Officer and this experience was most valuable in the run down after the war. He followed me out to Singapore in 1952, where he took command of 3 BOD. His power of organisation and drive had a marked and necessary effect on the efficiency of the Unit, He later received a CBE for his work there. He went on to serve at Didcot before retiring in 1961. A bluff, shrewd, Yorkshireman who served the Corps well and I valued him as a friend. * * * LIEUTENANT COLONEL P. A. A. LEIR MAJOR G. M. /. STROUD writes: — Peter Leir was bom in September 1914 at Southsea, where his father was a serving Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy. He entered The Royal Military College at Sandhurst in February 1933 from where he was commissioned into The Royal Hampshire Regiment. As was the case for many young officers at that time, Peter served with his Regiment in India, until transferring to the IAOC in January 1939. On 2nd December 1947 Peter transferred to the RAOC and served in many varied Corps appointments in Ammunition, Stores Depots and military administration. Apart from qualifying as an ATO he was also a parachutist—I believe one of the very earliest in the Army, having started jumping from aircraft very early in the war whilst serving in India. I first met Peter in 1956 at COD Branston. He had a cl926 strap-down open Bentley and a C1928 stand-up~and-beg Rolls-Royce saloon. We had a mutual interest in old cars and I was, therefore, delighted when in 1958 I was posted to 30 Battalion Singapore where he was Commanding Officer and where, as his Adjutant, I got to know him very well. He had the underlying courage of a committed and practising Christian, was straightforward, totally honest and compassionate. He would spare no effort in solving the many and varied welfare cases which came his way and took a very active part in pro- moting mutual understanding between the Army and the local population. He was an excellent Regimental Officer, an ability to which was coupled a sound knowledge of Ordnance matters, He retired in 1962 with the avowed object of practising the ' Good Life* concept recently popularised on television, but in Win- canton, Somerset, rather than Surbiton! In recent years he moved to near Dunstable and worked in the fund-raising pro- fession until mid 1976 when with his wife Wendy he decided to move to America to join relatives in California. Having bought an American-style twenty five foot caravan and Jeep Cherokee as prime-mover, the intention was to tour the Americas, they had already been to North Mexico. His last letter was full of plans for the future but his tragically early and sudden — 337 — |
| Book number | R0246a |