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Corps Notices
Former Warrant Officer Class 1 (Artificer Sergeant Major) James John Coogan
Scribes: Dave Cooper and Phil Dyson-Hurrell
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It is with regret that we inform the Corps of the death of John Coogan, who died suddenly in his sleep at home on 6th June 2021 following a heart attack, aged 66.
After watching his younger brother Aidan’s passing out parade with the Parachute Regiment, John was so inspired that he joined the Army himself at St Albans on 2nd February 1976 at the age of 21. He’d originally gone with the intention of following Aidan into the Paras but, fortunately for us, the Recruiting Sergeant saw his test results and persuaded him to join REME.
On passing out from basic training as Champion Recruit, John then moved to SEME and trained as an Armourer; on completion of which he was posted to his first unit (1 CHESHIRE) in Minden in February 1977. Later, whilst serving with 14/20H LAD in Münster he successfully completed Artificer Selection and attended 81 Artificer Weapons course from April 1983 to September 1984.
On completion of his Artificer course, he was posted to 29 CDO Regt LAD at the age of 29. Following two unsuccessful attempts (through injury) at the All-Arms Commando course John felt that it was inappropriate for him to remain there without passing the course, so he asked for a posting. It was then he met, and fell in love with, his future wife Marianne; which was the catalyst for him to have another shot at the Commando course so that he could stay in Plymouth – and this time he was successful. So, having earned his coveted green beret, he went to withdraw his posting request – only to be told by the OC that it was too late and he was being posted to 15 Fd Wksp in Catterick. (To say he was miffed was an understatement!)
He left 15 Fd Wksp on posting to 1RS LAD in Werl as AQMS and then spent a year in Berlin at 14 Fd Wksp. He was promoted to ASM in 1991 and served with 39 Regt Wksp, HQ Northern Ireland and finally, Army Technical Support Agency in Chertsey, which is where he finished his 22 years’ military service.
John epitomised the Corps ethos of soldier first and during his time in uniform saw service in the UK, West Germany, Berlin, Canada, Belize, Cyprus, Northern Ireland and Norway.
On leaving the Army, John, Marianne and their daughters Claire, Katie and Lauren settled into their new home in Camberley and John used his logical brain, common-sense, practical ability, drive and determination and large reservoir of technical experience in his second career, working as a civilian technical officer at HQ SEDIST (which later became HQ Regional Command) in Aldershot. He finally retired in January 2021, having given 45 years’ service to REME, both in uniform and as a civilian Staff Officer.
John was a keen military historian, which he put to good use (along with his hobby of photography) during the annual reunion of the now-lifelong friends he made at 15 Fd Wksp, leading his own battlefield tours of places such as Arnhem, Ypres, Bastogne, Amsterdam, Normandy, Monte Cassino and various German locations such as Berlin, Düsseldorf, Mönchengladbach, Lemgo, Hamburg and Munich – wherever we went, John had carried out research into the area’s battles and it was a pleasure listening to his briefings (with all his notes in the [by now familiar] EMER binder that always accompanied him).
John’s farewell parade was held at Aldershot Crematorium and sincere thanks go to Maj Neil Allcock for making all of the arrangements. Sadly, due to Covid-19 the numbers attending were significantly reduced. He was carried in by past and current serving members of HQ Regional Command spanning the ranks of Sgt to Lt Col! – a truly fitting and emotional gesture by those who considered him both their comrade in arms as well as friend.
Organised by the Corps Welfare Office the Corps was further represented by the REME Association Standard Bearer from Bordon and a trumpeter from the RAMC whose playing of the Last Post and Reveille were absolutely impeccable.
Following the service, his wake was held (appropriately) at The Army Golf Club, which John had joined on leaving military service and of which he was appointed Captain in 2012.
He was truly an exemplary, decent man whose zeal for life, knowledge, experience, dry sense of humour and moral fortitude will be greatly missed by all who knew him and we offer our sincere condolences to John’s family and friends.
Rest In Peace John.
Arte Et Marte.
Former Sergeant Malcolm ‘Tigger’ Craig
Scribes: Maj Alex Thomson and Mrs Glenis Fairclough (sister)
It is with great sadness that I must inform you of the passing of 24903088 Sergeant Malcolm ‘Tigger’ Craig. Tigger felt unwell whilst at work on 30 Dec 20 and was laughing and joking with his workmates before suddenly collapsing as paramedics arrived and could not be revived. He was 60 years old.
Tigger was born close to midnight on 21 Aug 60 at 85 Clupstone Street, Bradford. He was closely followed 15 mins later by his twin sister on 22 Aug and was the third of four children of Ronnie and Kath Craig. Tigger attended Crag Road junior school then Salts Grammar school in Shipley. In his early life he wasn’t allowed to have a bike so he and his 2 brothers built their own, eventually building his own scooter. With this early aptitude for engineering established, his first career was as a Mechanic at Ross Field garage repairing Robin Reliants. During this period, he married Tracy and had three children; two boys and a girl. He divorced Tracy and married Linda who followed him into his early career in the military in Dortmund, Germany. He then divorced Linda and married Caroline with whom who he had four children; Rebecca, Kieran, Aiden and Kimberly. Aiden has followed his dad into REME and is currently serving. After completing his service, Tigger did a few jobs including Ocado delivery and Abattoir Engineer before finally settling as an engineer at Morrison’s.
How it began
How it ended
Granddaughter Ellie Tigger
Tigger kept busy with his children and his beloved granddaughter Ellie and was very active in the local community as a Freemason and avid scooter club enthusiast.
A well-known and well-liked character in the Radar world and across the Corps, Tigger joined REME in 1988, training as a Radar Tech and serving predominantly in various Royal Artillery units both in UK and Germany before completing his full 24 year career at 5 Regt RA in Catterick in 2012. Tigger was a comparatively late joiner and, as such, could often be found delivering wise guidance and advice to the younger soldiers, including myself. This sagely image was reinforced by the pipe often found hanging from the side of his mouth and faint aroma of strawberry and crème tobacco wafting in the air. Tigger was an extremely practical and adept all round Engineer and skilled Artisan who could turn his hand to almost anything. Although an adept REME Technician, Tigger was also a skilled Mechanic and there are many tales of VM FRTs turning up to jobs to find Tigger had got there first; having repaired both tech and mech faults. He was an avid DIY enthusiast, starting many projects but finishing few before his interest moved to the next venture. Although the exact origins may be lost in time, this is perhaps where he got his nickname ‘Tigger’ as he was always bouncing around on some endeavour or another.
Tigger had a full and rewarding life; travelled the world, married three times, seven children, a granddaughter, a career before and after REME, but he had much more to give, having passed at a relatively young age. A committed and devoted family man and proud Yorkshireman, Tigger leaves behind many friends and family through whom he will live on.
Tigger – ‘Life is not about how fast you run or how high you climb but how well you bounce’
Brian Aplin
Brian Aplin, who died last year, was born in Beer, Devon in 1930. Having trained as an Electrician, he completed his National Service as a Gun Fitter in REME. One Saturday night he was on guard at Poperinghe when an impressive Rolls Royce drew up at the barrier. Assuming this to be a very senior officer he turned out the guard and approached the car. He saluted and the window went down to reveal only a fellow Craftsman who said;
‘’ere look what I’ve just borrowed from Reading!’’
Brian was posted to Korea with the 25th Artillery Regiment, travelling out on a dirty converted cargo boat which had to be regularly fumigated to kill the bed bugs. The Regiment was diverted to Hong Kong to deter a Chinese invasion and thence to a remote jungle location in Malaya. It was here that he was ordered to clear a hang fire, without being allowed to wait the approved amount of time for the gun to cool. The round exploded as he opened the breech and seriously damaged Brian’s hearing for the rest of his life. The battery was visited by Brig Carver who was shocked to find they had no fresh rations. The VIP lunch, which Brian had to serve, consisted of compo biscuits with processed cheese. The Brigadier promised to rectify the ration shortage and sure enough a few days later a helicopter hovered over their location and the ‘fresh’ rations were pushed out of the door – 3 large tins of peas processed! After contracting malaria Brian sailed home on a liner with a steward to make his bed but not before he had taken part in a 21 gun salute on Penang Island to celebrate the Queen’s Coronation.
Brian and his wife Ivy, bought a smallholding which they worked for the rest of their lives. He bred and trained a number of horses which he raced with pride, albeit without great success.
Brian was tough. At the age of 76 he fell through the roof of his barn shattering his pelvis, although he was saved from worse injuries by the dung heap. However, to maintain standards he insisted on changing in to clean trousers before the paramedics arrived –they then cut them off! Well in to his 80’s he would drive in fence posts by hand and spent a couple of hours in a flooded freezing ditch keeping a sheep’s head above water.
Brian Aplin was a real countryman who was proud of his time in REME. The family smallholding lives on, managed by his daughter Melanie.
Brian Aplin
Former Craftsman Rowland Wheeler Marshall – 22903705
My father Rowland Wheeler Marshall (Ronnie) sadly passed away on the 23.07.2021 after a relatively short illness.
Dad was born on the 22.04.1935 in Govan and had the typical hard upbringing of a war child, with the added hardship of his parents marriage breakdown and going from foster home to foster home. This made my father painfully honest but very family orientated, with family coming before everything but always willing to help a person in need.
His interest in engineering and horsepower started at an early age with the mucking out of the local Clydesdale cart horses. When he was about 15 he met one of the founder members of REME from the war and his interest was awakened. In 1953 he was called up for National Service but had to go to the RAOC, even after requesting to go to the REME. The RAOC was not for Dad, even when the OC offered him his own Bren carrier, when Dad dangled the carrot of signing on as a regular.
So Dad got his way, signed on as a regular in REME and was eventually posted to Imphal Barracks in Osnabruck with the Carabiniers and tanks, he loved it! As life is, I was posted to Mercer Barracks (same camp) and 1BN REME some 30 odd years later. Dad’s time in the army was short but sweet (53-56), but he was always proud of his REME service and would wear his Corps tie at every occasion and encourage the young guys to join the REME and get a trade.
Dad will be sorely missed, leaving behind his loving wife Isobel, three sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren but never forgotten!
Major (Ret’d) Doug Clarke (1964-2021)
Enlisted 1964. Retired 2021.
It is with great sadness that I report the sad passing of Major Doug Clarke on 3 June 2021 following a stoic battle against cancer. Doug enlisted into the Army on 27 August 1964 and joined the Army Apprentice School in Carlisle as a potential vehicle Mechanic. Following his military training he transferred to the REME on 1 January 1966 and completed his Vehicle Mechanic training, successfully passing out of Carlisle on 17 September 1967. From that year until 29 April 1984, Doug completed tours in the UK, Germany, Canada, SHAPE and Hong Kong and attained the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2.
At the age of 36, on the 30 April 1984, Doug was Commissioned into the Corps as a 2nd Lieutenant and was posted to Colchester. After a short tour in Colchester Doug was posted as OC LAD to 21 Signal Regiment in Wildenrath. Subsequent postings took Doug to 49 Bde HQ in Nottingham, 118 Recovery Coy in Northampton, the School of Equipment Support, Arborfield and Maint Branch in JHQ, Rheindahlen as the SO2 ES. On completion of this tour, Doug became a Retired Officer and took over Command of 3 Garrison Wksp in Bielefeld where he served until retirement in 2012.
Doug was a gentleman in the true sense of the word. Kind, considerate, helpful, and generous with his support, knowledge, and experience, gained during a long and distinguished career. He was great fun with boundless energy, especially in the company of his grandchildren whom he adored. Whether it be Hashing, playing golf, on the ski slopes or just working together, Doug had a tremendous sense of humour; he enjoyed life to the full and shared that enjoyment whenever in his company. Without doubt, Doug was highly respected throughout the Corps and someone you looked up to and someone you aspired to be like.
Following his retirement, Doug and his wife Pippa moved to Cyprus where they lived for several years, making many new friends, and continuing their love and enjoyment of life together. Grand children on the scene, Pippa and Doug moved back to the UK to share their lives firsthand and to be closer to their remaining family. He will be sadly missed by all his friends and family.
Rest in Peace my true friend, “On On.” Doug Clarke Stuart-Smith – Retired Brigadier Vernon Stuart Stuart-Smith passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on Friday 6th August 2021, aged 95.
Death Notice Requirements
In order to publish a death notice we require the following information: Surname, first name, rank, full date of death, ages and dates of service. An obituary with additional career and life information is welcome. To inform us of the death, please contact Ms Bev Bate, Corps Welfare Manager on ( 01249 894523 or benevolence@reme-rhq.org.uk
The REME Charity
The Trustees of The REME Charity acknowledge with sincere thanks the donations received during the month of JULY 2021. They also wish to acknowledge the regular subscriptions received from the Officers and Soldiers of the Corps and retired members of the REME Institution:
Donations
30/06/2021 Via Stripe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£898.18 06/07/2021 The Baynham family in memory of Bill Baynham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£200.00 07/07/2021 100 miles tab of the South Downs . . . . . . . . . . .£30.00 07/07/2021 29 Commando Workshops Ultra Runners . . .£322.72 15/07/2021 In memory of SSgt HJC Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£306.00 15/07/2021 In memory of Roy Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£10.00 15/07/2021 The Thrift Shop, Mount Pleasant Complex, Falklands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£500.00 12/07/2021 Sam Melvin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£7.50 12/07/2021 John MacKenzie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£5.00 12/07/2021 Nik Brock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£5.24 12/07/2021 Kevan Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£250.00 12/07/2021 James McLay Annual Family Rememberance £25.00 21/07/2021 John and Rosemary Edwards – Lockdown II Cribbage Tournament (194 games 96/98) . . . .£50.00 Date sent to Craftsman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30/07/2021 Total Donations (July) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£2,609.64 Total £’s paid in Grants (July) . . . . . . . . . . . . .£14,780.04 No. Grants (July) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Average Grant (July) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£671.82
If you would like to see how your money is spent, we welcome one or two observers at The REME Charity meetings. The meetings are held midweek, approximately every three weeks. If you would like to observe a meeting, please contact The REME Charity Secretary on ( Mil: 95481 4527 or Civ: 01249 894527 in the first instance.
The REME Charity is here for both veterans and serving personnel in times of hardship or need. Contact via SSAFA ( 0800 731 4880 www.ssafa.org.uk or The Royal British Legion ( 0808 802 8080 www.britishlegion.org.uk or your Unit Welfare if serving. All enquiries and information is dealt with in the strictest confidence. If you wish to discuss any benevolence need you can contact us on ( 01249 894523.
