Maj B Newman

One of twins, Bryan was born in Aldershot in February 1938. He was educated at Maris College, York and then went on to Oakham School in Rutland. He joined the Royal Leicestershire Regiment in 1956.

After training, he was posted to the 1st Battalion to Cyprus, and subsequently went on to serve with the Regiment in Borneo, Hong Kong, Cyprus and West Germany, as well as a number of home postings and a stint at the Jungle Warfare School in Malaya.

While serving as a sergeant with the The Tigers’ recruiting team in Leicester, Bryan met Pearl. He did some recruiting of his own, and they subsequently were married in March 1964.

Following the amalgamation of The Tigers in 1964 into the Royal Anglian Regiment, Bryan served with the 4th Battalion (The Tigers). Over the following years, he went on to serve in all four Battalions of the Regiment. During this time, he also spent two years as an Instructor at the Signal Wing, School of Infantry in Warminster.

Bryan rose through the ranks, and was commissioned in 1975 while serving in Cyprus for the second time. Between 1976 and 1981 he was seconded to the 5th Battalion the Ulster Defence Regiment in Balykelly, Co Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

In the best Tigers’ tradition, Bryan was a keen rugby player. As well as representing the Regiment and Combined Services’ teams, he also turned out regularly for Leicester Thursday and Stoneygate. Bryan had two sons: Paul, the eldest was born in Leicester, and Philip in Malta.

For a brief period in the mid-1980s, Bryan was joined by Paul as they served together in Cyprus in the 2nd Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment as part of the UN peace-keeping force. Throughout the posting he never did come to terms with being addressed as ‘Dad Sir’!

Having served with the Army for 29 years, Bryan retired in 1985, and he and Pearl returned to Leicester. He died in January 2004, and is buried in Tufton, Hampshire, where he spent many of his childhood years.

FAHS