Major General ‘Dick’ Gerrard-Wright, who died on 12th May this year, was not only a great character and an inspiring leader, but also someone who made a significant contribution to the development of our Regiment at a formative time in its evolution. His time as Commanding Officer of 2nd Royal Anglian 1970-1973 was not only pivotal in his own career but also helped lay the foundations of the reputation of both the ‘Poachers’ and the wider Regiment at a critical stage in its development.

When he took over command, the Battalion was preparing to re-role to mechanised infantry and move to BAOR. It had been thoroughly and imaginatively trained by his predecessor, but had had no operational experience as a unit since its formation as 2nd East Anglian Regiment in 1958. Within days of assuming command he was given 4 weeks and minimal external support to deploy to Belfast on Internal Security duties. The next 4 months saw severe and frequent public disorder most nights. ‘Colonel Dick’ spent every night visiting the deployed companies and platoons, a presence on the riot control lines when appropriate, gleaning a first hand understanding of what was going on, guiding and supporting commanders who were under considerable pressure, and chatting to and cheering their soldiers. During the daytime he worked hard to develop and improve relationships with the RUC, negotiate with the community to defuse trouble where that was possible, and to take opportunities to develop an understanding of the subversion that lay behind the rioting. He also sustained his team; his energy, drive and ‘feel’ for the situation was matched with a joie de vivre and a wicked sense of fun that kept people on their toes but laughing a lot too. His practical, unsentimental, but sincere love for his men shone through and was recognised by all. The Battalion was acknowledged as having had a good tour, and returned to Colchester with a justifiable sense of confidence.

Eighteen months later, following a move to Munster, re-roling and training as a Nuclear Convoy Escort battalion, exercising as mechanised infantry, and running an important Chemical Warfare trial, he took the Battalion back to West Belfast at the height of the ‘troubles’, taking over from our 3rd Battalion in the hard core Republican area of the Lower Falls Road. Under his charismatic, yet thoughtful leadership the Battalion kept firm control of this difficult area, killing at least 10 terrorists, wounding and detaining many others and contributing to the intelligence campaign, while managing to avoid alienating the more moderate members of the community. His achievements as a highly effective operational commander were recognised by appointment to be an OBE following the first tour, the award of a Mention in Despatches for the second, and, within eighteen months, promotion to command 39 Infantry Brigade, a huge formation with 10 major units and many minor units, responsible for the whole of Belfast and its environs. But in 2nd Royal Anglian he left an operationally experienced and confident unit with a generation of officers, NCOs and soldiers who understood what operational success looked like, and what was necessary to bring it about. This legacy contributed significantly to the Regiment’s subsequent success and reputation, especially in Northern Ireland.

Richard Eustace John Gerrard-Wright was born in 1930 in Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir, Lincolnshire, a county for which he retained a strong attachment. The son of the Reverend Robert Gerrard-Wright, he was educated at the charitable and religious foundation of Christ’s Hospital, an austere educational environment but one in which his sporting talent was recognised and developed. He joined the Army as a private soldier in the Black Watch at Fort William in October 1947. That experience stood him in good stead for the future prior to attending Sandhurst and being commissioned into the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment in 1949.

He joined the 1st Battalion in the Canal Zone in Egypt and served there until 1952 when the Battalion returned to England after 22 years abroad. An experienced unit which had conducted internal security duties in Palestine, in Egypt they again experienced both serious rioting and terrorist activity and incurred a number of casualties, which gave Dick Gerrard- Wright an early introduction to operations as well as the sporting and social distractions of service abroad.

The next 3 years saw service briefly in Goslar, Germany, but mainly as ADC to the GOC-in-C Northern Command, Lieutenant General Sir Geoffrey Evans. This highly respected veteran of Eritrea, North Africa, the Arakan, Imphal and the crossing of the Irrawady, had been awarded three DSOs and appointed CB for his wartime service. He was also supported by a formidable wife. Sixteen ADCs had failed to measure up in the previous 17 months. It is a testament to Dick’s ability and intuitive empathy with people that his two years as ADC was a success, and the Evans’ remained personal friends until their deaths.

In 1955 Dick returned to the 1st Royal Lincolns as they deployed for 3 years to Malaya for counter-terrorist operations, and one of the most successful tours of the many British units that served in the campaign. Initially in C Company, where he had a pet monkey called ‘Psmith’ whom he promoted to Lance Corporal, but subsequently reduced to the ranks for showering the occupants of a tent with talcum powder in a fit of rage, Dick did not see himself as a ‘jungle soldier’, but for the bulk of the tour he played a key role as Adjutant, for which he was mentioned in despatches. Veterans from that time remember with gratitude the efforts he made to help young National Servicemen and Regular reinforcements straight from Lincolnshire settle in to the very different environment of Malaya and the operational pressures involved.

With jungle companies widely dispersed, he was given considerable delegated authority by the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Goulson, and learned a lot about running and maintaining an operational battalion. As a Commanding Officer his sharp eye for administrative details, which often caught the more casual by surprise, may well have stemmed from this prolonged experience in a unit headquarters, as did his strong support for his Quartermaster and Battalion staff.

Returning from Malaya Captain Gerrard-Wright was posted to be a Company Instructor at Sandhurst. Tall, debonair, extrovert, and a fine sportsman as well as professionally experienced from an operational theatre, he was a natural selection for this role. And it was here that Dick met, courted and, in 1960 married Sue, the daughter of Lieutenant Colonel F W Young, another Royal Lincoln, who served as the librarian at the Staff College for 18 years. Sue was the love of Dick’s life and her love, cheerful support, patience, tolerance, hospitality, strong good sense and kindness sustained him for the next 52 years as they built the family to which both were devoted and together brightened the lives of all whom they touched.

Sandhurst and marriage were followed by a spell as a Company Commander with the recently formed 2nd East Anglian Regiment in Osnabruck, success in the Staff/Promotion examination and selection to attend the Indian Defence Services Staff College at Wellington in Tamil Nadu. Although ambitious officers might consider anything but Staff College Camberley as a step out of the mainstream, only high quality officers were selected to represent the British Army at certain overseas Staff Colleges, of which India was one. Given his personal qualities Dick was, again, a natural selection; it suited them both and they proved excellent and popular ambassadors, with Dick riding regularly with the Ooty Hunt and winning several prize tankards in the Gymkhana Club Races!

Selection to be Brigade Major of the 70th (East African) Brigade followed, and he filled the appointment at a crucial time, as he worked to transform the Brigade into the basis of the Army of the newly independent Kenya. He became the first Chief of Staff of the Kenyan Army and in consequence sat in on cabinet meetings chaired by Jomo Kenyatta, and worked with a range of agencies in a way that would have been unusual for those in more conventional staff appointments. He learned to understand and establish working relationships with those with radically different points of view. His work in Kenya led to his appointment to be an MBE in 1965; in a way it was also good preparation for Belfast.

Following Kenya, Dick returned to Regimental Duty with 4th Royal Anglian in Malta. Having held sub-unit command before Staff College, and with a limited number of rifle companies available, he was appointed to command Headquarters Company. This he led with typical panache, winning all the many sporting and military competitions and, with Sue, made a major contribution to what many from those days remember as a relaxed and happy tour. At this time he got to know many ‘Tigers’ who would subsequently join 2nd Royal Anglian when he was commanding, all of whom he made welcome, and several of whom were to play a key role in the Battalion’s successes in Belfast and Germany.

After Malta, it was back to the Far East, this time as Brigade Major of 28th (Commonwealth) Brigade at Terendak in Malaya. This was a prestigious post as the brigade represented the Commonwealth’s commitment to Malaysia in the face of threatened communist expansion. It also called for the diplomatic skills and ability to get on with people from a wide range of backgrounds for which he was becoming as well known as for his exuberant charm and sense of fun. In 1970, as part of his duties, he advised Commander 19 Infantry Brigade, including 2nd Royal Anglian, when they deployed to Malaysia on Exercise Bersatu Padu.

So in 1970 Lieutenant Colonel ‘Dick’ Gerrard-Wright brought considerable relevant experience to his command of 2nd Royal Anglian. He also brought some key personal qualities that made him an outstanding commander at unit and brigade level and a very popular and effective GOC Eastern District. These qualities tended to be masked by the image of a generous, debonair, convivial, humorous, elegantly dressed, party-loving raconteur, with something of a blind spot for personal organisation. This was Dick, but there were other qualities and personal characteristics that were crucial.

An extremely shrewd judge of character and capabilities, he backed his judgement in the way he delegated to his staff and subordinate commanders, empowering them with detailed planning and implementation. He was prepared to take risks in trusting the relatively inexperienced with responsibility in key appointments, and in doing so inspired great commitment and loyalty. He encouraged and guided with a light touch, but when he was let down had the capacity to rebuke quietly in a way that was doubly difficult to bear: “a word please; I would be less than honest if I didn’t say that that was a very moderate performance”. Compassionate and humane, he still had the steel to ‘grasp nettles’ and remove those who were not up to the job. He ran very good teams, and relied on those teams to complement his own very special talents.

He had an instinctive ability to get on with people ranging from politicians and senior officers to private soldiers and citizens of the Lower Falls. Blessed with a phenomenal memory for faces and names, the genuine warmth of his interest in individuals drew people to him. He was one of the very few Commanding Officers who lived up to Field Marshal ‘Bill’ Slim’s benchmark of knowing the names of everyone in his battalion. As a Brigade commander he got to know the personalities of the numerous roulement battalions down to many of the Senior NCOs quickly and well. That facility extended to the RUC, where he was well liked and respected. His gift for establishing strong relationships with those for whom and with whom he was working – at least six Brigade Commanders in his tour as a CO alone, including Brigadier Frank Kitson in that pivotal first Belfast tour – benefitted the overall effort. But he also had decided and high professional and personal standards, and was not prepared to compromise with ‘shabby’ behaviour in whatever form.

Brave, physically robust and seemingly tireless, his presence ‘on the ground’, with his broad grin, bristling moustache and friendly grip on the arm, and firm, strong voice over the Battalion or Brigade radio net gave great reassurance and a tremendous ‘lift’ to soldiers of all ranks who were frequently tired and under pressure. He genuinely loved the company of soldiers, and, while giving out to them, in turn drew strength and inspiration from them. And this was not just on operations; visiting a battalion at a weekend, and asked by the CO whether he would like to visit a local landmark or restaurant, he replied “I’d like to sit in the NAAFI and talk to the lads”, and stayed all morning doing just that. As GOC Eastern District and in his final appointment as Director TA and Cadets he related readily to TA soldiers, not something many regular officers find easy.

Essentially a commander, who relished the real and the practical, he was less at home in staff appointments, particularly those in the closed but frenetic world of Cold War BAOR and the MOD. While politically aware and capable, as shown in Kenya, Malaysia and Belfast, he did not care for internal military politics. A decidedly un-pompous individual, he had little time for the pretentious, the self publicist and the self-serving. It was typical that, on leaving Regular service, he was much happier being a touring examiner of the Army Security Vetting Unit, working with soldiers, than the well paid chief executive and secretary of the prestigious Hurlingham Club.

Advanced from OBE to CBE for his Brigade Command tour and appointed CB on retirement from the active list in 1985, he became a Deputy Lieutenant for Cambridgeshire 1993 to 1997 and then for Lincolnshire from 1997 to his death. Devoted to his family, in retirement he still gave generously of his time to helping others, including being President of SSAFA Forces Help for Lincolnshire 1998-2010. Having been Deputy Colonel The Royal Anglian Regiment 1975-1980 and Colonel Commandant of the Queen’s Division 1981-1984, he continued to devote considerable time to supporting The Royal Anglian Regiment and was President of the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment Association for many years. He worked tirelessly to support their veterans and to establish the Royal Lincoln’s regimental collection in the Museum of Lincolnshire Life in Lincoln. It is appropriate that the photograph shows him, as DL for Lincolnshire, welcoming Prince Andrew to the opening of that museum in 2000.

The Regiment, and all those who served with him, owe Dick Gerrard-Wright a great deal. He was certainly a ‘soldiers’ soldier’; he was also, as remarked by a Royal Lincoln veteran at the Field of Remembrance on 8 November 2012, ‘a soldier’s General’.

JCBS