Major DG Ridgway Royal Anglian Regiment

Obituary for Major DG Ridgway

Maj David Ridgway was born on 24 August 1940 in Leicester. His military career began when he joined the Cadets as a boy, followed by joining the Royal Leicesters on 16 Feb 59. He was quickly promoted to Lance Corporal, but was demoted when he was caught climbing the barrack wall – the glowing cigarette in his mouth gave him away! He was told that he was a waste of space and that he should leave the Army; so he always wished that that particular officer could have seen what became of him.

Between 1959 and 1969 he served with the Royal Leicesters and subsequently 4 Royal Anglian in Cyprus, Aden, Malta, Hong Kong; he also worked for the United Nations. In 1969, whilst serving in Aldershot, he was promoted to Staff Sergeant and shortly afterwards, in 1970, he met Mair Jones, marrying her in December of that year. They set up home in Paderborn until August 1971, when they moved to Peterborough, where he served with 6 Royal Anglian as a WO2. It was there that his first daughter, Sara, was born in October 1971.

In 1974 they moved to Bassingbourn where David served with the Queen’s Division and, in April 1975, his second daughter, Emma was born. In the same year he was promoted to WO1 and, in August 1977, he received the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. In 1978 he briefly moved to the School of Infantry at Warminster before returning back to Bassingbourn where he was commissioned in December 1978.

In 1980 he was promoted to Captain and posted to Celle with 1 Royal Anglian. In 1982 he returned to England and bought a house in Wisbech from where he commuted to work in Oakington until retirement in 1984. This was quickly followed by the birth of his son, David, in 1985.

In 1987 he rejoined as a Major and was posted back to Celle with 2 Royal Anglian as the Families Officer. He returned back to the Queen’s Division Depot at Bassingbourn in 1992 as OC Headquarter Company, until he retired from the Army, this time for good, in the same year.

After retirement David continued an active working life and became a Court Usher in Wisbech, Peterborough, March and Huntingdon Magistrates Courts, which he still managed to run in a Regimental fashion.

He died on 8 August 2008 after a short illness. He leaves a wife, three children, four grandchildren and a legacy of fine service to The Regiment.

SW