Alleyn Club Yearbook 2017

next returned to the 13th / 18th Royal Hussars in 1962, he became Squadron Leader of A Squadron, but left again in 1964 to spend two years at the Military Secretary’s Selection Board branch in the War Office in London, after which he received the MBE for outstanding achievements in three staff appointments. He returned to the regiment for a final time, was initially a squadron leader again before becoming second in command of the whole regiment. In 1968, he was promoted to Lieutenant- Colonel for his final two years on the Directing Staff at the Staff College in Camberley. He resigned his commission in 1970 and finally left the Army after more than 20 years, moving to Suffolk where he was Chairman of the local branch of the British Legion for many years, while living in Nayland. He joined the Secretariat of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) in London, firstly as Director of Post-qualification Education, followed by Director of Education and Training, and finally Director of Practice Regulation for the last six years until retirement in January 1990. Eric met his wife Gillian Clayton, while she was a medical student. They had planned to get married in November 1956, but brought this date forward to August because of the impending Suez crisis, with their wedding at All Souls Church, Langham Place, London. Two daughters followed; Antonia in 1958 during a posting to Dorset, and Frances in 1961 in Singapore. His daughters recall moving home a lot while he was in the army, with them often returning from boarding school to a new home in a new location. But as Eric had taken up polo at Sandhurst, that gave his daughters access to the army cavalry during

school holidays, with the occasional opportunity to help groom some of the more amenable polo ponies. Towards the end of his army career, the ban on pets was lifted and the family acquired their first cat and dog. The cat is remembered as immensely laid-back, which was in stark contrast to the manic red setter dog. Eric, then a Lt. Colonel at the Staff College in Camberley, was often seen locally on his bike, being towed along by an over-enthusiastic dog. In retirement, Eric and Gill moved back to Dorset and spent many happy years living at Nags Head in Mappowder. In Dorset, he maintained his links with the British Legion, as well as becoming involved with Probus. When he retired Eric bought a computer and discovered the dual joys of desktop publishing and the internet, allowing him to pursue his love of military history. He published four books, starting in 1996 with History of the 13th / 18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary’s Own) 1947-92. Having attended the dedication of a memorial at Mount Pincon in France, he wrote Mount Pincon as part of the Battleground Europe series of books to commemorate the part the regiment had played in the recapture of the largest hill in Normandy from the Germans in August 1944 following the D-Day landings. His final book, published in 2011 was The Light Dragoons – a regimental history, and was dedicated to “Rebecca, Anabel and Madeleine”, his three granddaughters. His organisational skills were legendary, with family holidays always brilliantly planned, and his daughters’ 21st birthdays and their weddings were all memorable occasions which ran smoothly. Eric and Gill’s Golden wedding anniversary weekend in 2006 is always remembered with great affection at subsequent family gatherings. He is

survived by wife Gill, two daughters and three granddaughters, and is greatly missed by all his family and by his many military and civilian friends. Tributes at Eric’s memorial service were given by both of his daughters and by Peter Waddy, a regimental friend who first met Eric in 1949 when they were both in the 13th / 18th Royal Hussars, and this obituary is drawn from these three sources. John Charles Izod [1946-53] 04.05.1935 – 07.04.2016 John Izod was the fourth of at least seven Izods to come to twentieth centuries. He came after his grandfather H.A. (1879-83), his solicitor father C.H. (1914-17), and his uncle J.B. (1931-35), but before his younger brothers PJ (1947-55) and A.H.W. (1956-62), and his cousin D.A. (1962-72). Dulwich in the nineteenth and John entered the College from the Prep as a day boy and was in Marlowe, later joining Blew House as a boarder. He was in the Classical A form throughout his College years and in the Geography Sixth led by Mr P.R. Thomas. An outstanding scout and Patrol Leader in Troop One at the time of expansion into Troop Two and then to Troop Four. He was a UK representative at the International Scout Jamboree in Austria in 1951. He acted in the annual school drama productions and often played lead parts for the Twentieth Century Dramatic Society. For some years he was a Treble in the Platform Choir and was a keen member of the Modern Rhythm and Art Societies. He was an energetic boxer and swimmer, and was captain of the school 2nd XV rugby team in his final

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