Obituary for Derek Henry (Becky) Sharpe

Becky died on 28 Aug 2016, aged 87. His National Service was with the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment 1947-49 in Malta. However, many will remember him for being the Editor and main author of ‘The Wasp’, the Regimental Journal.

His funeral on Mon 19 Sep 2016 at Gorleston Crematorium was very well attended. The coffin was draped with The Union Flag and his beret and medals, bearing a Bedfs & Herts Regt wreath in yellow and white.

The Guard of Honour, under Command of Ben Turner, comprised Standard Bearer Stan King, Jumbo Fleming, Ken Gook, Maurice Joel, Trevor Hardwick and Maj John L Raybould, Also present was Area Secretary Maj Tony Jones. The Regimental hymn of The Beds & Herts Regiment ‘To be a Pilgrim’ was heartily sung. At the conclusion, a Beds & Herts bugler played the Regimental March ‘La Mandolinata’.

He is survived by his wife Joan, son David and four grandchildren.

Becky had thoughtfully prepared a summary of his life and it was read by the Revd Charles Powles.

Born in Luton, Bedfordshire, on 16 May 1929, I went to Infants, Junior and Senior Schools there. I passed for the Technical College at 13 and did a two year building course, leaving there in December 1944.

Being wartime, there was little building work, except replacing windows! I got a job in London as a boy at Works Imperial & Foreign, part of Unilever and worked there until called up for my National Service.

In the meantime I had joined the Army Cadets while at the Technical College and had reached the rank of LCpl. I knew Joan whilst in the Cadets as she served tea, bread and dripping in the canteen and we went out in a group of boys and girls!

I reported to Kempston Barracks on Thu 19 June 1947 and, as I had been a cadet, got two weeks off my primary training. It was here that I got my nickname ‘Becky’. I was posted with two others to the 28th Training Battalion at Hollywood Barracks in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on a three months course for potential officers and NCOs. Again I was known as ‘Becky’! At that time I was badged Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Regiment.

I was posted to Colchester and waited until the Training Platoon finished training, given 14 days embarkation leave and set sail from Liverpool. We disembarked at Malta and spent about 10 days at the Transit Camp before leaving on the ‘Empire Peacemaker’ for a very rough crossing to Tripoli.

There I joined the 1st Battalion Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Regiment around 17 Dec 1947. ‘Becky’ was still my nickname and I was posted to the Intelligence Section, promoted LCpl in January and Cpl in May 1948.

I was in the Advance Party for Salonika, Greece, and with the battalion until 20 June 1949 when I was demobbed and given 10 days leave. On that leave I met Joan again and we both fell in love. We were engaged on Joan’s 18th Birthday and married on 23 December 1950.

With Joan’s approval, I joined 5th Bn The Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Regt TA on 24 September 1952. I was in the Mortar Platoon as a Private, making Cpl in the year and a Sgt by 1954. On 6 Apr 1959 l was promoted CSM of Support Company.

It amalgamated with the Hertfordshire Regiment to become the 1st Battalion Bedfs & Herts Regt TA. I was CSM 3 Company and finished my time in 1972 as Cadre CSM and awarded my TA medal and Clasp after serving 18 years and 299 days.

Nicola was born on 17 Jun 1957 and we adopted David in May 1964.

I then worked for Lintas, the advertising company of Lever, in the Art Studio, until made redundant in 1971.

Then followed work with three advertising agencies until I was made redundant again in 1988.

We removed from Luton to Scratby and have been happy ever since. I did 9 years Scratby beach cleaning and was Treasurer of the Gorleston & Gt Yarmouth Royal Anglian/Royal Norfolk Regimental Association for ten years until I had my stroke in January 2006.

I’ve been on Ormesby St Michael Village Hall Committee for well over ten years and I have been a committee member of the Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Regimental Association since 1987, when I became editor of the ‘Wasp’, serving in that role for 27 years. I was Secretary of the Luton & Dunstable Branch from 1983 until I moved to Norfolk.

Nicola married and had two sons, Matthew and Daniel, but she unfortunately died in 1997 aged 40.

David has two girls, Lauren and Sophie by his first marriage He has been the best son I could have wished for.

JLR