Julian Lacey, who died on 12th September 2015 at the early age of 66, was a greatly liked and respected officer who, during 47 years of unstinting and selfless service, made a considerable contribution to our Regiment, to the Army and to the Reserve Forces.

Julian, the youngest of three brothers, was born on 18th December 1948 in Egypt into a widely travelled military family. Julian’s father was a Brigadier in the Royal Engineers (as was his elder brother). He was educated at Prior Park Preparatory School, Cricklade and Prior Park College, Bath where he showed an artistic bent and developed a love of music which he retained throughout his life. He left school with 4 `A’ levels and a place to study at Art College, but instead decided to join the Army. He attended RMA Sandhurst from January 1967 to December 1968 when he was commissioned into the Royal Anglian Regiment, joining Bob Pike’s company of the 3rd Battalion as a rifle platoon commander in Aldershot, where the Battalion was part of 16 Parachute Brigade.

Julian served on the active list for 34 years. Eighteen of those years were at Regimental duty, mainly, but not exclusively, with 3rd Royal Anglian, his beloved `Pompadours’. After his initial platoon command he was posted to the Queen’s Division Depot at Bassingbourn, and it was while serving there that in 1970 he met, courted and married Diana, beginning over 40 years of a marriage which was the bedrock of his life. Returning to the Battalion in Paderborn in 1973, he began to develop his considerable experience of both mechanised infantry soldiering and Northern Ireland operations.

Commanding the Anti Tank Platoon, he took them on an emergency tour to Londonderry in 1973, under Major Peter Williamson, and had responsibility for Rosemount Police Station. Subsequently, when Regimental Signals Officer in Germany, he returned to Londonderry in 1974 as Battalion Community Relations Officer. Appointed to be Adjutant, he played a key part in the move of the Battalion from Paderborn back to Catterick in August 1975 and then out to Cyprus in February 1976.

As OC Command Company in Cyprus, he had the first of three company commands before receiving the accolade of being chosen to instruct and be the Regimental representative at Sandhurst from 1977 to 1978. Between that tour at Sandhurst and attending the Army Staff Course in 1980-81, Julian and Diana joined the 2nd Battalion in Berlin, where he commanded D Company, working for Patrick Stone and Roger Howe, and extended his reputation within the wider Regiment as a highly effective and competent officer. Towards the end of this tour the Battalion exercised in the Sauerland and Julian had the key role of Exercise Director for the culminating and deliberately testing final `free play’ phase.

Staff College, Camberley in 1981 led to 15 years in a series of demanding General Staff appointments, the first being SO 2 Ops/O&D in York with HQ NE District/ 2nd Infantry Division from 1982 to 1983. This built on his time in both Catterick and Germany, where the Division had its operational role. He was responsible for the organisation, mobilisation and deployment of the Division which had a high proportion of TA units, and this gave him considerable experience of working with the Reserves. He also had to manage the military implications of a period of significant industrial unrest. It was a testing but successful two years at staff, which was followed by his return to the 3rd Battalion in Minden from 1984 to 1987, working for Colin Groves, commanding a Mechanised Company, and then progressing to be Second in Command with Colin and then Alan Behagg. This period included a West Belfast tour 1986/87 as well as a range of demanding exercises in Germany and Canada. Throughout these three years Julian made a very significant contribution to the formidable reputation enjoyed by the `Pompadours’ in both Germany and Northern Ireland.

Selected for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, Julian moved in 1987 to the MOD appointment of SO 1 Director Commitments (Rest of the World), a demanding post he filled very successfully until 1989, when he returned to the 3rd Battalion as Commanding Officer, to bring them back to Colchester and 19 Infantry Brigade for two years which included hosting the Queen Mother’s 90th birthday visit to the Regiment in Roman Way Barracks in 1991 as well as a demanding programme of training and exercises. In May 1991 he led this highly trained and effective battalion to join 8th Infantry Brigade back in Londonderry. His deep experience, and calm but decisive leadership once again proved invaluable in setting the Battalion on course for a very successful but sadly foreshortened tour. His leadership in command was recognised by a richly deserved OBE, and in 1992 he moved, on promotion to Colonel, to be Chief of Staff to HQ 2 Division/Eastern District in York.

His time in York from 1992 to 1994 was particularly demanding. Not only was there a very wide span of command, geographically and functionally, but his tour coincided with the `Front Line First’ Defence Review and the Defence Cost Studies which included the restructuring of UKLF’s command structure. Moreover, for the latter part of his tour, his commander was also heavily involved in follow up activities to his role in the 1991 Gulf War. Julian Lacey carried a formidable weight of responsibility with considerable success. At the end of this tour he was selected, for his experience, personality and capabilities, to be the senior Army Directing Staff at the Joint Services Defence College at Greenwich at a time when the course needed to be overhauled and enhanced. He served in this appointment from 1984 to 1987, and is remembered with great affection by those who worked with him, both DS and students, as highly competent and progressive, managing change with a light touch and great sense of humour and humanity. In 1997 Julian Lacey assumed his final appointment on the active list as Commander of Colchester Garrison. Here he was instrumental in transforming the military estate, planning the PFI to rebuild Colchester Garrison, and enabling the establishment of 16 Air Assault Brigade in East Anglia. The paratroopers of 16 Air Assault Brigade deeply appreciated his efforts on their behalf as they moved from Aldershot to Colchester and, uniquely, made him an honorary `elder’ of the Parachute Regiment. His considerable leadership and management skills were recognised in 2000 by the award of the CBE.

On leaving the active list, Julian was selected to become the Chief Executive of the East Anglia Reserve Forces and Cadets Association (RFCA), a post he filled with distinction for 12 years. Here, in addition to his regional responsibilities, he was on the national level Strategy Group and made a major contribution to the evolving policies and practices for the Reserves, Cadets and employers at a time of dramatic change and unprecedented operational deployment. The East Anglian RFCA was frequently used as an exemplar and much visited. As in his Regular Army service, Julian was recognised as a wise councillor and a `safe pair of hands’. He was warmly appreciated by Reserve and Cadet units throughout East Anglia for his interest in and commitment to them. It would be difficult to overstate his contribution in the Reserve Forces nationally as well as locally, over this 12 years.

Concurrently he was a very active and respected Deputy Colonel of the Royal Anglian Regiment for the 3rd Battalion and Honorary Colonel TA from 2008 to 2014. As Regimental Colonel for Essex he served the forebear Essex Regiment with devotion.

The Essex veterans, uniquely, invited him to become an honorary member of 4th/5th Essex annual dinner club. In 2012 he planned and oversaw the memorable final parade of the Essex Regiment Association. In addition, for 5 years he was an active and effective governor at Diana’s old school, Princess Helena’s College in Hitchin.

He was a volunteer and then Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the St Helena Hospice in Colchester. His considerable contribution to the County of Essex was recognised by his appointment to be a Deputy Lieutenant and he was an active and engaged DL. In sum, 47 years of devoted service to the country and his fellow man.

Julian was a very able, tremendously hardworking and consummately professional officer who brought to all he did a sharp intelligence and passionate commitment combined with a relaxed manner, calm common sense, a pragmatic sense of the possible and a real sense of style. He never raged or thumped the table, just talked things through calmly and found solutions. He was always utterly reliable; as one senior colleague put it “steady as hell!” His capacity to plan and organise, and his attention to detail was formidable. He was both a clear `thinker’ and a practical `doer’. This was very apparent in all his 3 senior staff jobs and at the RFCA. In each he was required to envisage and then drive through difficult and far reaching changes. In all cases he succeeded and, moreover, took people with him, with clear direction, a sense of humour and a light touch. In all his endeavours, Julian was very much a `team player’; he worked totally loyally, reliably and effectively for a variety of very different `bosses’. Completely honourable, with no `side’ and utterly `straight’ in his dealings, he had no time at all for sloppy thinking, second rate behaviour, military silliness, stupidity and unfairness, especially towards the more junior ranks. He was courageous in `speaking truth to power’. He would help others even if it prejudiced his own position to do so.

But he also had the gifts and outlook to inspire loyalty and commitment in the teams he himself led. A compassionate man who cared deeply and worked hard for all those with whom he was involved, he encouraged and developed the people with whom he served. They knew this, appreciated it, and did not want to let him down. None of this was done in an extrovert, `showy’ way. Julian was always modest and understated, treating everyone with dignity and care. As one person put it to me Julian did a lot for people `stealthily’. He also had a delightful, impish sense of humour which he used to good effect to resolve issues and lighten people’s day.

Julian’s whole approach was inclusive, inspired with an ambition, whatever he was doing, to do a good job. His service to the Royal Anglian Regiment as a whole, serving, veterans and families, in uniform and since retiring from the active list, was quite exceptional.

Throughout this life of service to others, Julian has been a dedicated and devoted family man, immensely proud of Diana and very mindful of all the support she has given him throughout their life together, and of his sons Michael and Jeremy and their wider family. He is a great loss to them, and to us all. It is to be hoped that recognition of Julian’s very considerable contribution, across such a broad canvass, affecting so many people in such positive ways, and the universal respect in which he is held by us all, will be some consolation in their very sad loss.