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RAOC Gazette - page 165

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Transcription JONES.—On 17th January 1978, Captain W. A. E. Jones ERD.
JONES.—On 21st January 1978, Captain (Hon Major) A. W.
Jones.
OSMAND.—On 18th December 1977 (in Australia) Lieutenant
Colonel J. Osmand (Retd).
STARKIE.—On 21st December 1977, Lieutenant J. P. Starkie.
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MARRIAGES
DARK—WATT—On 8th April 1978, at All Saints Parish
Church, Didcot, Susan, only daughter of Lieutenant Colonel
and Mrs S. J. Dark of Didcot, Oxon, to Alan, only son of Mr
and Mrs A. J. Watt of Netherlee, Glasgow.
DODWORTH—WOOLSTON.—The marriage took place on
Saturday 8th April 1978 at the Royal Memorial Chapel Sand-
hurst, between Miss Jenny Louise Dodworth, only daughter of
Lieutenant Colonel and Mrs C. P. Dodworth and Lieutenant
Anthony John Woolston, Royal Navy, only son of Mr and Mrs
H. F. Woolston.
MURRAY—WHALLEY — On 4th February 1978, at St
Barbara's Garrison Church, Deepcut, Kevin Ian, son of Mr and
Mrs I. C. Murray, of Johannesburg, South Africa, to Elisabeth
Anne Mary, daughter of Brigadier and Mrs W. L. Whalley of
Farnborough, Hants.
NIDDRIE—ROBINSON—On 25th March 1978, at St Paul's
Church, Mill Hill, N.W.7, Diane Lynn, eldest daughter of WOl
and Mrs D. G. Niddrie of Mill Hill, London to Alexander
Joseph Robinson, eldest son of Mr and Mrs A. Robinson of
B ro ugh ton, South Humberside.
BIRTHS
FLETCHER.—On Good Friday, 24th March 1978, at RAF
Hospital Wegberg, to Captain Neil Fletcher and Ann, a son,
Andrew Derek.
SOUTHWORTH — On 16th February 1978, at Devizes Maternity
Hospital, to Captain Michael South worth and Terry, a son,
Nathaniel Simon.
DEATHS
AMATO—On 10th February 1978, suddenly at 2 Carden
Place, Aberdeen, Major Peter D. J. Amato (Retd), beloved
husband of Bobbie and dearly loved father of Stuart, Alistair,
Ian and Claire.
HUME.—On 1st April 1978, at home, Lieutenant Colonel R. A.
Hume MBE. (One time Chairman of RAOC Association, Chil-
well Branch.)
JOHNSON.—On 4th March 1978, Brigadier R. F. Johnson
(Retd).
PINNER.—On 5th March 1978, Ex-Sergeant L. V. R Pinner.
ROSIE.—On 21st March 1978, Private M. M. Rosie, at RAF
Hospital, Halton.
ROSSITER.—On 23rd December 1977, Colonel G. M. Rossiter
TD, in Malta.
THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE have informed us of the death
of the following Officers, late RAOC.
AWBERY—On 10th December 1977, Captain (Hon Major) E.
T. Awbery.
CLYNE — On 31st January 1978, Lieutenant Colonel A. Clyne
(Retd).
CONNER-—On 20th December 1977, Major (OEO) R. S. Conner
MBE.
DAVIS—On 27th January 1978, Major (OEO) J. W. Davis.
FREWGUELLL—On 1st January 1978, Lieutenant (Hon
Captain) I. M. Frewguelli.
GARVEY.—On 8th January 1978, Lieutenant (Hon Captain)
D. Garvey.
HARRISON.—On 2nd December 1977, Captain (OEO) R.
Harrison.
BRIGADIER R. R JOHNSON
MAJOR E. BULLOCK writes: —
The death on 4th March of Brigadier Roy Frank Johnson,
at the age of ninety turned the clock back over forty years
for me to the days when, as a NCO, I served under him in Hong
Kong. In 1936 he arrived on the Island to take over No. 6
Section—he was then a Lieutenant Colonel.
True to his
reputation, R. F. (' Rimfire') lost no time in pin-pointing the
weaknesses in Ordnance Services there and setting about
rectifying them. Conferences were the order of the day and the
force and fire with which he set out his guidelines left no doubt
in anybody's mind as to what he wanted. The effect was
electric and in twelve months -a tremendous amount of * clean-
ing u p ' had been achieved, not without much sweat and some
tears,
R. F. was not an easy man to work with but one had to
admire his qualities of perception, originality and drive and he
never spared himself.
A Barrister-at-Law, he was a man of wide interests and
talents and once told me that he enjoyed life in whatever job
he had, as pre-First War journalist, a regular officer since 1917;
as one of the earliest broadcasters (from 2 LO—"A Bonnet
Laird') for ten years between the wars. Sir John Reith once
offered him the job of Director of Programmes but he preferred
to stick to the RAOC.
He was also a Music Critic with the ' Daily Express' for a
few years. The week after he retired he went back to Fleet
Street as Head of the Colonial Office News Branch and left
after a short spell, as he wanted to write some books. He did
the Second World War hisory of his old Regiment, the HAC
Regimental Fire*); then a little book 'Coin Collecting, A
Beginner's Guide * and then he ventured into Naval History
with a most interesting and technically fascinating story of the
loss of the * Royal George' on which William Cowper wrote
his famous poem, " Toll for the Brave
" The book is
highly praised in a foreword by Lord Mountbatten and was
completed when Brigadier Johnson was a young eighty three and
when, to keep himself fit, he was having a daily go at his
sculling machine in the summer house of his home in Ton-
bridge.
An Old Pauline, who went to school with Monty, he, like
Monty, has left more than just memories behind.
*
*
*
LIEUTENANT COLONEL R. A. HUME MBE
MAJOR F. V. PIGGOTT writes: —
Lieutenant Colonel Hume died at his home in Chilwell on
1st April 1978 following a period of illness of some months,
He was a pre-war RAOC soldier and at the outbreak of
the Second World War, was called up as a reservist. He served
throughout the War and was commissioned for the greater part
of this time. He continued his uniformed service until 1948
during which time he had been promoted to the rank of
Lieutenant Colonel and been awarded the MBE. On com-
pletion of his military service, he resumed his Civil Service
career and his final appointment, in this Service, was as
Officer-in-Command Technical Records Group COD Chilwell
in the Grade of SEO. His civilian employment was completed
in 1973 and he continued to live in Chilwell until his death.
Whilst at Chilwell he maintained a positive and active
interest in the Chilwell Branch of the RAOC Association and
was its Chairman from 1968 to 1973. For his services to the
Branch he was made an ex-officio member of the Committee
from 1973 onwards until he retired, owing to illness, in Novem-
ber 1977; when he expressed his regret that he could no longer
fulfil an active part in the affairs of the Branch.
He will be greatly missed in RAOC functions and we
place on record his long and faithful service to the Corps.
— 371 —
Book number R0246a