9th-12th-Lancers - Year 2001 - Page 0094
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| Regiment | 9th/12th Lancers |
|---|---|
| Year | 2001 |
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94 REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE 9TH/12TH ROYAL LANCERS (PRINCE OF WALES’S) 27th Lancers were called into being from a ‘parent’ Regular Regiment. In this case the 24th Lancers were born from the 9th and the l7th/21st. The 24th trained in England as a mechanised cavalry regiment until D-Day. On the 6th June they took part in the landings on the Normandy Beaches and in the build-up ofthe Bridgehead of Fortress Europe. David landed on Jig Green Beach on 6th June and experienced the fierce fighting in Villers Bocage losing many close friends. Due to heavy casualties 24th Lancers were disbanded on 9th August despite having fought with distinction gaining a DSO, six MCs and three MMs. David and the sur- vivors of his Squadron joined the 23rd Hussars under the Command of Lt Col Perry Harding. David fought through from the Falaise Pocket to Holland, commanding A Squadron before being wounded in October 1944. He returned in time for the refitting ofthe Comet Tank and Christmas in the Ardennes! He was awarded the Military Cross whilst commanding Recce Troop. His citation said that he was ordered with four Stuart tanks to reconnoitre the crossing of the river near Bonsdorf and to report on the bridge. Despite fierce opposition from the enemy with Panzerfaust and machine guns Captain Turquand managed to capture the bridge which was still intact. The enemy brought up reinforcements and eventually numbered some two hundred infantry 7 mainly Hungarian SS. For an hour Captain Turquand fought off the enemy and lost two tanks before he was reinforced. His determination and initiative in seizing and holding the bridge, and his resolute action are wor- thy of the highest praise. David remained in Northern Germany until late 1946. He was a Squadron Leader under Lt Col Cecil Blacker (later to become General Sir Cecil Blacker) until the disbandment of 23H, and was then appointed OC HQ Sqn of 4 Armoured Brigade which was commanded by Brigadier Carver later to be FM Lord Carver. In 1944 David married Pat at the Emmanuel Church, Bridlington. He is survived by his children John, Jane and Jeremy. David returned to his profession with the Norwich Union Insurance Society in 1946 and moved to Derbyshire. In 1949 he joined the Derbyshire Yeomanry as Regimental Signals Officer and com- manded a composite Yeomanry squadron at the Coronation Parade in June 1953. David was OC A Sqn for some 7 years before being appointed ZiC of LDY overseeing the amalgamation of the two Regiments. He retired from the TA in 1962. He remained a fiercely proud Member of the HAC Veterans and regularly attended their reunions. He retired from the insurance industry in 1985 and settled in Duffield, Derbyshire where he took up many new interests. He became an accomplished artist and he also was a Royal British Legion Secretary until he died. David was on the committee of the Derbyshire Yeomanry OCA and was very much involved in filnd—raising for the Museum in Derby. He sup- ported many local charities and organisations. At his funeral his life was summed up thus: ‘An appropriate epi- taph for David would be that he had an overriding sense of duty to country, family and community.” George ‘Del’ Delaney Del, as he was known to all his friends and colleagues, joined the 12th Royal Lancers as a regular soldier in Palestine, and settled quickly and naturally into regimental life. As a young sol- dier he carried out a wide variety of tasks such as cook, groom, MT driver, Tech storeman, all of which he tackled with the ener- gy and the enthusiasm that were so typical of him. He was promoted to Sergeant in Malaya and developed into one of a band of senior NCOs who are the backbone of any British Regiment, again holding a number of jobs to which he gave 100% of his efforts. Del had the unique distinction ofbeing awarded the first Rolls Royce Armoured Car Motif for qualifying as a BI tradesman, fol- lowing a successful Signals Instructor’s course at Bovington. George Delany married his wife Phyl when he was stationed at Colchester. It was a long and happy union and Del gave much of his time and effort to the Regiment and later to the Committee of the Old Comrades Association. He left the Regular Army at amalgamation and joined Marconi where his training as a Signaller helped him a great deal. He also joined the Inns of Court Yeomanry as a second military career where he eventually was promoted to Warrant Officer. Del was a mine of information on a wide range of subjects; he could (and did!) discuss a favoured topic with vigour and we often put the world to rights and just as often we agreed to differ! It was ironic that he had to wait for years for double knee sur- gery; he got over the operation in record time and was about to be completely mobile when suddenly he died. At least he was able to realise his wish to march again at Mons Moy. At his funeral service Del’s family were supported by a church full of friends and former comrades, a fitting tribute to a man who will be remembered by many and sadly missed. js Lieutenant George H Riley eorge Riley was born on 27 November 1912 and joined XII Royal Lancers inJanuary 1932 at Helmeih, Cairo in Egypt. After __ . - 6 months service with the Regiment he was promoted to LCpl and employed as the motor- cycle outrider to Lt Col JW Hornby MC. On change of ‘ Command George was transferred j to RHQ as Lt Col RL McCreery’s staff car driver. George returned with the Regiment to UK in 1935 but was soon on the way back to North Africa when Mussolini threatened to cross the desert en route to the Suez Canal. 12L arrived in Mersah Matruh in February 1935 where they patrolled between Soluum and Sidi Birrani until August 1936, when he returned to UK and was posted to the Class “A” reserve. While in North Africa George remembered with great fondness the flag-waving trips up the Nile to Aswan, Luxor and Wadi Haifa and was somewhat puzzled that these ‘trips’ always seemed to coincide with the horse racing at Luxor! |
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