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9th-12th-Lancers - Year 1984 - Page 0085

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Regiment 9th/12th Lancers
Year 1984
Transcription Captain N A Gibbs
Nrck Grbbs was rn the second post
war intake to Sandhurst nirrt Ulr bertrg
oonrrnrssronetl in 1948 he ltlllled tn 9th
Lancers rn Scotland as a Triton Leader
tlr ’B‘ Squadron He moved wrtii the
Regrrnent to Germany tn 1950, later to
become Stgllflltl Officer and Assrstant
Artrutam It: Julie 7953 I“; was
appornteo ADC to Martrr Gmrerar Errt)l
PrrorrPalrrior and went wrth tirm to
Washrngtrin D C He returned to the
Regrmenl rti Germany rri l955 lo be
Second Ill Command 01 'C' Squadron
With a large black burck car, a
rriernorahle relrc ol the trrne whrch he
had spent in the United States In l958
he resigned nls commrssron rn order to
become, In 1960, Prrvate Secretary to
Mr Eugene Black. Presrdent ol the
World Bank. he thus returned to
Washtngtort He subsequently held a
number at drstrnguished DOSlHOI‘S
drrecttng the Bank‘s attarrs rri South
East Asra and, more recently, rn
Ghana,
n rsa measure ol NICK Gihhs‘
character and parsenalrty that rn sprte
(rt the cortroamtive Sltflrl trim: he spam
as a Servrntr Ollttter wrtlr thrr
l Regrntent. lriw rittrcers nl lira perlnd
l are remembered With such IUVl? and
atlectron by nrs peers lt is trDt srnroly
because Lll hrs total and exceprronal
l Comrnlltnerlr lt) all regrrrrerrrzrl aCllVllie‘i
, rnrlitary, Sptrlllllg and Sllt‘lfll, rt rs rirn
srrnply because of hrs enormous charm
and love of lile; it is not srrrrply
because 01 hrs remarkable calmness ln
a crisis Nick’s deep christranity and
total unselfishness produced one
outstanding quality which he displayed
to an exceptional degreei loyalty
Loyalty to his lamrly,loyalty to his
soldiers, loyalrty to hrs Regiment and
loyalty to hrs legron of friends lt was
to Nick, as a young oltrcer, that so
many, both rumor and senior, turned
when they themselves had a personal
crisrs. This characteristlc remarried
wrth him all at hrs lrfe whether rn this
capacity as a hrghly regarded
Iriternattohal Crvrl Servant or, In his
capacity as a much respected and well
loved husband and tather,
lt wrll be no mouse to those who
served with hint to know that Nrck and
Lr7 and their t:lirldren, Camilla, Andrew
and Eliza set an example trl n
rllscrpltned and lUVlllg tanrrly whrch has
been an insprralron to all wtrrr have
Crime rn contact With them. To them
we send our love and sympathy
CWD
Giles M. Gllbay MC
Grles died peacelully rn Anrerrca in
December 1983 aged 60, havtng made
his Me Out or England lor some years,
those ol us who knew him so well
clttrrng and alter the War, sadly mrssed
hrs generous nature and Contrnuous
good humour Nevertheless, he was a
(treat Corr‘rparrrnn to hrs wrle, Drana.
and daughter Lisa, to whom goes
deepest sympathy
Alter Harrnw and Oxford. Grles
rtirr ed the Regiment rn Algiers early rrr
WM and was posted to ‘C' Squadron,
wrrl'r whrrrn he remained rrqlrl through
lt) Palestrno rr: l947, Hit (utilully
tinted sensr: trt tun rmnicdrarely
conveyed rtsell to all ranks, and, whrle
wt BlN‘lZTH ROYAL iANCEhs REGthNtAtJouRNAt
going to great lengths to htde, he
quickly establrshed himsell as a most
etftcrent oflrcer wrth well delined
personal standards He loved Italy and
did not let the War hide It's beauty and
culture, eventually makrng hrs home rn
Assrssi for a Irrne. Whilst there he took
every opportunity to enroy Irfe
involvrng as many ot hrs
contemporarles as a matter at courses
Hrs talent at both lindrng a piano in the
most unltkely places and then playrng
rt, was an asset enroyed equally tn the
NAAFl, the Sergeants’ and Oltrcers'
Masses altke.
He won a well earned MC at
Tracento on 26th Apnl, 1945 by
setzrng a brrdgehead and holding rt
wrrh his Troop tor longer than should
have been prissrhle, untrl the lnlantry
nrrryed The whole actron was the
result of guts, hard gratt and his abrlrty
to take l'lrs soldiers along wrtti hrm
rather than by panache and luck
Although, as evrdenced rn rire
Riding School al sarararra rh
Palestine, he was by no means a great
eotiestrran. he was a great sportsman
rn other drrectrons, notably golt and
shootrng. On one occasion hearing
pheasants 'cocklng up' in the
prrrewoods North rrt Ravenna, he set
rrtt rrrto 'no man's land‘ wrrli the
Squadron t2 bore and returned wrth 3
very surprised Germans
To his great disappointment he was
not able to tour the lamily lrtrri after
the War, but was out to work wnh
varrous Crty rristrtutrons much to the
drscomtortttre of both SIdES, and after
a perrod of budding eritreprenurism in
Germany and the USA. he wrsely
rnarrred Diana and they made their
hrime in Barbados, Italy and eventually
the USA
Giles, never the natural suldler.
added to the annals of the Regiment,
which rn turn gave Grles his great
adventure
JER
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