Barry Sutcliffe, usually referred to as ‹Drummie›, was born in Bedford on the 4th of July 1937and was educated at the Silver Jubilee School in the town until the age of 16. He then took up an apprenticeship as a painter and decorator, which he completed before being called up for his National Service in 1957. However, Barry opted to become a regular soldier in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment and began training at the at the Regimental Depot at the Keep in Kempston. Barry had joined the regiment in which is father had served for some 14 years, many of which had been in the Corps of Drums.

In 1958 the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment amalgamated with the Essex Regiment in Germany to become the 3rd East Anglian Regiment. This entailed the Bedfords moving from Goslar – a superb location in the Hartz Mountains to a less than superb location in Dortmund. On completing his basic training Barry was posted to Dortmund as a member for the advance party that was to prepare for the arrival of the battalion from Goslar. After the amalgamation was completed and on his 21st birthday Barry, who was in C Company, volunteered to join the Corps of Drums – knowingly following in his father’s footsteps. This proved to be an excellent decision as it was mainly in the Corps of Drums that he forged his highly successful career over 22 years regular service followed by another 13 on the Long Service List.

Barry became a stickler for smartness and attention to detail in both turnout, drill and drumming – something that stayed with him throughout his life. A number of old comrades learnt this only too well when they arrived for a Regimental Association Remembrance Parade in November in recent years with shoes insufficiently polished or hair too long. It was as a young drummer that Barry was judged to be the smartest soldier in the battalion. And it was in this capacity that he was selected to be introduced to the Queen Mother when she came to present new Colours to the Battalion at Brentwood in 1959.

Barry was promoted Lance Corporal in 1959 and corporal in 1961. As the best drummer in the Corps of Drums he was given the honour of carrying the Mons Drum on parade; this was a drum that was handed to a French woman for safekeeping during the desperate days of the retreat from Mons in 1914, and returned to the Regiment at the end of the war. It was as a corporal that Barry was selected to be the commanding officer’s bugler – a position he held for several years. It was also during this period that he took part in and won several competitions in drumming and bugling. 1964, the year that the 3rd East Anglian Regiment became the 3rd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment, Barry was promoted to sergeant and took on the duties of Band Sergeant. While on active service in Aden in 1967 Barry displayed courage and initiative for which he was awarded the Commander-in-Chief’s Commendation.

A year later saw him appointed to the key position of Drum Major. It was in this role that his skill and leadership was responsible for ensuring the battalion’s Corps of Drums reached an exceptionally high standard of smartness, drill, drumming and bugling. This was particularly so during the battalion’s tour in Cyprus in 1969 -70 where the Corps of Drums became well known for its performances throughout the island, including on one occasion in the main concert hall in Nicosia. After promotion to colour sergeant in 1971 Barry had a brief interlude from the Corps of Drums when he was a PSI with the 6th Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment in Bedford from 1972-1973 before a posting to Northern Ireland during Operation Banner.

In 1979 Barry had completed 22 years service and was confronted with retirement – a prospect to he wished to avoid by going on the Long Service List. This was difficult as his main experience throughout his career had been in the Corps of Drums. The only way was for him was to complete the very demanding Mess Managers’ course at the Army School of Catering in Aldershot. This course involved him in long hours of hard work that were rewarded with a well-above average pass. His first posting as an Officers’ Mess manager was to Belize where his efficiency and enthusiasm were rewarded by promotion to acting Warrant Officer 2. It was while in Belize he received the British Empire Medal for his successful leadership of his battalion’s Corps of Drums over so many years. In 1985 Barry was appointed Officers’ Mess manager at the British UN Headquarters in Nicosia, Cyprus. Here again his untiring efforts and success were rewarded, this time with the Meritorious Service Medal. His final posting was as mess manager at the Officers’ Mess at the Sennelager Training Area. Barry finally retired after over 35 years service in 1992. By then he had surely become one of the most travelled members of the Regiment with active service tours in Malaya, Aden and four in Northern Ireland as well as postings and Band and Drums tours to America, Bangkok, Belize, Berlin, Canada, Cyprus and Spain.

From retirement until his death Barry was a staunch supporter of both the Bedford Branch of the Regimental Association and the Clapham Branch of the Royal British Legion. At the Association Remembrance Parade in November at the Kempston War Memorial he organised the standard bearers and official wreath layers for many years with typical sergeant major efficiency. Although suffering considerably with his illness Barry successfully undertook the task of parade sergeant major at the amalgamation parade of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment Association with the Royal Anglian Regiment Association in August 2014.

Barry had one brother, Tony, who was tragically killed in a motor accident in 1983. He met his future wife Lillie in 1953 long before he joined the Army, and they married in 1959 shortly before moving to Malaya with the battalion. They had three children, Cliffe, Ricky and Cherie.

I served with Barry in Malaya and Aden, but got to know him well after we met again as members of the RBL and Regimental Association. Barry first became ill in 2013 and I can vouch for the uncomplaining courage he showed as his condition worsened. He was a brave man who is missed enormously by his wife and family and also by his many friends and old comrades. Barry died on the 19th June 2015, and his military style funeral on the 2nd of July was exactly as Barry would have wanted it. It was attended by Royal British Legion and Regimental Standards, a guard of honour of old comrades, a bugler and a large number of family and friends.

MA