Cyril was born in Nottingham on 28 July 1930. He enlisted at Nottingham on 2 February 1948 and badged to the Sherwood Foresters. After a short period spent in the UK he was moved to Japan to join the Royal Leicestershire Regiment, as part of the Far East Land Force on 12 May 1949. He remained with them until September 1951 when he was moved to Korea before being returned to the UK on July 1952. He later spent four months in Germany from November 1952 to March 1953 and he was discharged on 20 May 1953 having served for five years in the rank of Corporal.

Following his Army service in 1953 he found employment as a packer with the company, Cooper Brothers for two years, then he joined The Post Office Telephones and was employed as a Jointer where he remained for the next 38 years until 1993. He then became a kitchen assistant at the Helen Ley Care Home in Leamington Spa for the next thirteen years until 2007, when he retired. He was also a member of the Warwickshire Branch of the Korean Veterans Association from 1984 to 2013 and assumed the role of their Standard Bearer on many occasions.

Cyril joined the Royal Hospital on 14 May 2018 and was posted to Long Ward 23 as part of Number 3 Company. Cyril was keen to get involved and attended a number of external events to commemorate the Korean War together with attendance at various regimental events hosted and organised by the Royal Anglian Regiment. He was also a regular at Stamford Bridge for the Chelsea Football Club home matches.

Cyril died on Jones Ward on Sunday 13 October at the age of 89 May he Rest in Peace.