Of Catholic parents with origins in Cork and Antrim, Kevin Ryan was brought up in Shepperton and educated there and at RMA Sandhurst. He was commissioned into The Royal Anglian Regiment in July 1969 and served in the 4th Bn in Bahrain as a Platoon Commander in A Company 1969-70, which included exercises in the Trucial States and Oman. He then studied at Wadham College, Oxford University, and graduated with a degree in Modern History in 1973. Thereafter he served in the 1st Bn in Cyprus, Tidworth, North Armagh (where he was Operations Officer Sep-Dec 1974), and in the AMF(L) role in Norway and elsewhere (he was Intelligence Officer 1975-76).

A deep-thinking man with Military History a speciality, Kevin mentally struggled to reconcile the actions of the ‘Redcoats’ with the political and ‘armed struggle’ agenda of the competing traditions and factions in Northern Ireland, where in total he served for some five years. That said, service in the Province brought out his professional best, and the award of Mention in Despatches as Intelligence Officer, 1st Bn, Belfast (L.G. 15.4.1980) and again as SO3 Int, HQ 3rd Infantry Brigade, Lurgan (L.G. 6.10.1981). He was subsequently awarded the MBE as a Company Commander in 1st Bn during its resident tour in Londonderry (L.G. 13.10.1987), and later was Bn 2IC in South Armagh.

At ERE Kevin served in the Cadet Training Centre at Frimley and in the UOTC Training desk at HQ UKLF, where his undergraduate experience was used to good effect. His tour as the Staff Officer of The Bermuda Regiment began with his input into the planning for presentation of new Colours to the Regiment by HRH The Princess Margaret in October 1990. His three years in Bermuda gave him ample opportunity to visit the battlefields of the American War of Independence and its Civil War. He was promoted towards the end of that tour and went on to command the Warminster Support Unit, finally leading the In-House bid team for the contract for the administration of Warminster Garrison. He retired from the Army in September 1994 after a distinguished career. He died on 23 August 2012.

Kevin Ryan married Frances Formby in 1976. Their son Roland, a graduate of Cambridge University, is an MOD civil servant.

MKG