King Edward's School Home Old Edwardians Website

Armed Forces

Argyle, Edward Percy
1892
Lt Col, Royal Veterinary Corps, DSO, Croix de Guerre; served in Boer War and World War I

Austin, John
1934
Squadron Leader, RAF; long-serving special duties pilot in World War II, taking part in bombing raids over Germany and dropping supplies to Resistance movements in eight countries; awarded DFC and Bar, Croix de Guerre, Dutch Flying Cross and a Polish decoration.

Baker, Adrian
1973
Surgeon-Captain in Royal Navy, retiring in 2014 after 30 years' naval service

Ball, Dennis
1937
Colonel in the Indian Army, he also flew Lysanders in the North African campaign in World War II

Barker, Godfrey
1901
Major, Royal Marine Light Infantry, killed at Gallipoli 1915

Bowater, William
1897
Lt-Col, RAMC; son of Sir William Bowater (1871). Compiled the Birmingham City Battalions Book of Honour in 1920.

Bradfield, Ernest W C
1898
Kt; Lieutenant-General; Director-General of the Indian Medical Service, Honorary Physician to the King.

Chauhan, Rakesh
2003
Flight-Lieutenant RAF, died on active service in Afghanistan 2014 

Clarke, Matthew 
2001
Major in the British Army, serving in Afghanistan

Conolly, John Augustus
1847
Lieut-Col; a boarder in Prince Lee's house; with the 49th Foot in the Crimea, fought at the Battle of the Alma, at Sebastopol, and won the VC on 26 October 1854, the day after Balaclava; later Major and then Lt-Col in the Coldstream Guards. After leaving the army, he was an assistant police commissioner and then a magistrate in Ireland.

Colley, David Bryan Hall
1952
Major-General in the Royal Army Service Corps, serving in BAOR and Hong Kong, then Ministry of Defence, where heavily involved in organising strategic logistic support for troops in the Falklands 1980

Cowie, A
1958
Military Attaché, Budapest.

Crowdy, Rupert
1928
Brigadier; served in Indian Army, then in British Army of the Rhine; awarded OBE for his part in the Berlin Airlift (1949); retired from Army after serving as Aide-de-Camp to the Queen (1962-1965); by 2013 was the oldest living OE, aged 103.

Croydon, John
1947
Rear-Admiral

Dauncey, Michael DK
1937
Brigadier; DSO, awarded for bravery at the Battle of Arnhem; after postings in Germany and Cyprus, served as Military Attaché in Madrid (1974- ); Colonel of the Cheshire Regiment (1978)

Downes, John Alfred
1935
Soldier, ultimately Brevet Colonel; fought at El Alamein and won the MC at Alam el Halfa.

Gale, Richard
1970
Joined the Manchester University Officers' Training Corps and on leaving University was commissioned into the Territorial Army. In 1973 he joined the Fifth Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, which was at that time a NATO committed Battalion with an operational role in the British Army of the Rhine. In 2013, appointed the role of Deputy Commandant Warwickshire ACF in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Godfrey, John H
1902
Naval Officer, Director of Naval Intelligence 1939-1943; Ian Fleming, who worked in his department, used him as the model for 'M' in the James Bond novels.

Guest, Charles Edward Neville
1916
Kt; KBE; CB; Air Marshal.

Hutton, Christopher William Clayton
1908
Served as Captain in the First World War; attached to MI9 as Major during the Second World War under Norman Crockatt, training pilots in escape and evasion and developing escape boxes to be issued in case of capture; innovations included silk maps, blankets that could be tranformed into civilian overcoats, miniature compasses hidden in buttons, pen tops etc..

James, Edward Antrobus
1917
Brigadier; served in the Second World War; awarded the OBE for his services in 1944-1945; appointed Deputy Lieutenant for Warwickshire (1945); made Justice of the Peace (1951); author of First World War texts, including The British Armies in France & Belgium1914-18.    

Johnson, T W M
1916
Colonel.

Johnstone, James
c 1859
Kt; soldier, serving in Indian Mutiny and then in Burma campaign in 1880s, remembered in connection with Kohima Relief Expedition; eventually Major-General; KCSI.

Keen, Nicholas
1977
Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Signals, served in the British Army of the Rhine, later attached to NATO

Kekewich, Robert George
1867
CB; Major-General; Defender of Kimberley in Boer War; died of wounds 5 Nov 1914.

Langham, Peter Rex
1943
Captain; awarded the MC in April 1945 for actions taken when serving in North West Europe as a Lieutenant in the Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment).

Lee, Oliver OBE
1991
Colonel in the Royal Marines, served in Afghanistan 

Lycett, Cyril Vernon Lechmere
1912
Brigadier, Director of Signals and Intelligence, India and South East Asia, 1945-46, serving under Lord Mountbatten.

Manifold, J F
c 1873
Soldier, ADC to Governor of Punjab 1887, fought in the Boer War, in Ladysmith during the siege, ultimately Lt Col.

Mason, Philip Granville
1890
Career solder: Major, Third Dragoon Guards, awarded DSO and Legion d'Honneur; killed in action in France 1915.

Mason, Richard D
1984
OBE; Group Captain, served in Kosovo, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan; station Commander, RAF Benson, 2010; Capability Director, Joint Helicopter Command, 2014

Maunsell, Frederick Richard
1840s
General, served in Punjab Campaign 1848-1849 and Battle of Mooltan; twice wounded during the Indian Mutiny; mentioned in dispatches for service in Afghan War of 1878-1879; KCB 1897

Mitford, Bertram
1891
CB; Career soldier, ultimately Brigadier-General, serving with distinction in Egypt and South Africa; writer of adventure stories

Perry-Keene, Allan LA
1916
Air Vice Marshal; Air Commander, Royal Pakistan Air Force (1947-49).

Roberts, Cedric K
1936
DSO, CB; Rear Admiral ‘Chico' Roberts, Flag Officer, Naval Air Command (1968-1971). One of the Royal Navy's most experienced aviators, saw action in the Second World War and the Korean War.

Sanders, H J
1905
Colonel.

Saundby, Robert
1914
Kt; Air Marshal; KBE, KCB; awarded the MC in 1917 for destroying a German Airship off Harwich, and the DFC in 1926 for services in Aden; Deputy AOC in C, Bomber Command (1943-1945).

Slim, William
1910
Viscount: KG; GCB; GCMG; GCVO; GBE; DSO; MC; Field - Marshal; Victor of Burma (as Commander in Chief of the Allied Land Forces in South East Asia); Governor-General of Australia (1953-1960)

Smallwood, Denis Graham
1936
Kt; GBE; KCB; DSO; DFC; Air Chief Marshal; C-in-C RAF Strike Command (1974); C-in-C RAF in the UK (1975-1976).

South, Gerry
1939
DSO, DFC, Group Captain, Administration at HQ Near East Air Force, Cyprus 1969.

Thomson, Andrew
1989
Served in Army for 20 years; commander, Fifth Regiment, Royal Artillery

Vyse, Richard
1762
Commander of the 1st Dragoon Guards in Flanders (1784); Major-General (1794); General (1812); Controller to the Duke of Cumberland.

Walker, Eric Sherbrooke
1905
Hotelier and founder of the Outspan Hotel and Treetops Hotel in Kenya, as well as a decorated military officer. Remembered as the host of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip when they visited Treetops in 1952. Was held as a prisoner of war in Germany during World War One and is said to have made 36 attempts to escape. Apparently, on one occasion, a German girlfriend helped them by supplying wire cutters provided by Baden-Powell hidden inside a piece of ham!

Wansbrough, R C
1912
Air Commodore, RAF.

White, John RC
1973
TD, Colonel. CSM CCF - Knight Memorial Medal 1972 & 1973. Royal Navy (Seaman Officer), then Army (Infantry) - both Regular & Reserves (King's Regt, later Princess of Wales's Royal Regt). Hon Col Middx & London PWRR.

Whitehead, Andrew F
1958
Commissioned into the Royal Marines in 1958 and served in the Far East with 42 Commando RM. In 1961 joined 40 Commando RM in Malta, later moving with the Commando to Singapore seeing active service in Brunei and Borneo. In 1964 returned to the UK becoming a Rifle Company Second in Command in 43 Commando RM and, later, Assistant Adjutant. In 1965 joined the frigate HMS Zest for sea service in the West Indies station as the Officer Commanding Royal Marines. In August 1967 became an instructor at the Officers Training Wing at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines. Remained in this appointment for three years before attending the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College in Ontario. On completing the course, re-appointed as a Staff Officer in the Joint Exercise Planning Division, HQ AFNORTH in Oslo, Norway. Next appointed to command K Company in 42 Commando RM in April 1974 and, during that 18-month appointment, served in Northern Ireland and in the Caribbean and Canada. Promoted Major on 30 June 1975. From 1975 until 1978 served in the Directorate of Naval Plans in the Ministry of Defence, and then as the Brigade Major in Headquarters, 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. 1980 appointed GSOl in the Department of the Commandant General Royal Marines and following promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, became the Commanding Officer of 45 Commando Group RM in 1981. During the South Atlantic Campaign in 1982, appointed a DSO for gallant and distinguished service. His next appointment, in 1983, took him to the British Embassy Washington where he was the Assistant Defence Attaché, Chief of Staff and Joint Warfare Representative. Promoted Colonel in 1984. Returned to the United Kingdom and, in 1986, took up the appointment of Director Royal Marines Operations in the Department of the Commandant General Royal Marines. Promoted Brigadier and appointed Commander 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines in 1988. In 1990 promoted to Major General and took up the appointment of Chief of Staff to the Commandant General Royal Marines. Retired from the Royal Marines in 1992.