It is with great regret that I inform you that, 23732934 WO2 Pete Lane passed away on Friday 29th May 2015. He suffered a heart attack at the Pompadours on the Bank fishing match at Decoy Lakes, Coates, near Peterborough.

Pete enlisted into the 1st Battalion 3rd East Anglian Regiment in August 1959 and having completed his basic training at Warley Barracks, Brentwood, he was posted to Malaya where he saw active service during the latter stages of the emergency. He was promoted to Lance Corporal in 1962 and to Corporal less than one year later in March 1963.

Pete moved with the Battalion to Berlin in 1964 as a Regimental Signaller and later transferred to the Recce Platoon where he was promoted to Sergeant. After this, he specialised in Assault Pioneer work and commanded this Platoon between 1966 and 1968. During a tour of duty in Aden, he was mentioned in Despatches for his leadership of this Platoon.

Between 1968 and 1970, he served at the Army Apprentices College, Chepstow before returning to the Battalion to command the Assault Pioneers again.
In January 1972, he was promoted to Colour Sergeant and commanded 6 Platoon before becoming CQMS Admin Company. In 1973, he was posted as a senior PSI to 5 (V) Royal Anglian and then returned back to the Battalion in 1975 in Catterick, where he served within the Quartermaster’s Department and also as CSM Command Company.

He also served for two years in Cyprus from 1976 to 1978 and two emergency tours of Northern Ireland in 1972 and 1979. After a long and distinguished career, often in difficult and dangerous conditions , he was discharged on the 29th August 1981.

Pete’s Military Conduct records describe him as having an Exemplary record, many times looking after and guiding those with less experience in all phases of operations. His many jobs during his service gave him an excellent knowledge of such skills as Military Engineering, Communications, Driving and many facets of Military Tactics. He was an excellent Instructor, always achieving high course grades.

All these assets when added to his reliability, sense of humour and ability to establish good and easy working relationships with those he worked with, made him the excellent Soldier he was.

Pete enjoyed his Fishing and was an ever present at the Pompadours on the Bank Fishing matches throughout the past ten years. He would have been comforted by the fact that in his final hour, he was with many of his old Pompadour friends, enjoying his fishing and partaking in the regular banter that follows soldiers everywhere. He was also very “green fingered” and spent many hours enhancing his flower garden .

Pete is survived by his wife Gwen, three sons, Steven, Lee and Rick and his six Grandchildren. A top man, he will not only be sorely missed by his Family but also, by so many others that have had the pleasure of serving with him.

OD