Introductory Remarks to the Eulogy for Stan Bullock by Brigadier Tony Calder….

On behalf of all the Regiments in which Stan served – Suffolk. East Anglian and Royal Anglian – may I offer our sincere condolences to his children, Glenn and Tina, on their loss. To lose a father and head of a family is, of course, a cause of much grief and sorrow and our sympathies lie with the whole family. But Stan was much more than a family man, he was a much respected, well-loved member of the Regimental family too. In fact I would go so far as to say that he was a Regimental legend and I do not use that word lightly.

You all will have in your mind other Regimental legends, the likes of Mick Fowler, John Watson and, going further back, Jack Gingell. Stan was up there with them because they all had the same qualities. They were all natural leaders who had an ability to motivate soldiers to do things they did not necessarily want to do. They all had a wonderful sense of humour that could defuse problems and encourage when hearts were flagging. They all had that deep sense of loyalty to the Regimental cause. And they all had the physical and moral courage to do what they thought was right. Behind them all too was a stable family life. Stan knew that when he was away Jenny would be providing the security that all was well at home. All of us in the regimental family owe Stan, and Jenny, a great debt.

When he left the Army Stan, and Jenny for that matter, never left Regimental service. He was Chairman of the Suffolk Regiment Old Comrades Association, President of the Bury St Edmunds Branch, Trustee of the Suffolk Regiment United Charity, organiser and parade marshal of Minden Day and parade marshal at the Regimental Day at Duxford. That was a list of the more public duties he undertook, but he was also one of those old comrades who would look out and provide help and advice for individuals who needed it.

Stan, the Regimental legend, has gone and we shall all miss him enormously and he will be remembered in the Regimental stories that get passed on down.

Eulogy by Warrant Officer Class 2 KC Jones

I must say how privileged and honoured I am to be asked to give the eulogy of the great man’s military history. The attendance here today says it all and is a just tribute to him.

Horace Stanley Bullock was born in Newmarket Suffolk on the 13th May 1936. 18 years later he enlisted into the Suffolk Regiment in Bury St Edmunds. He knew at that early stage exactly what he wanted to do and signed up for 22 years.

After successful completion of his training Stan as he was known to the majority of us, was posted to Wuppertal in West Germany with the 1st Suffolk Regiment in early 1955.

Stan very quickly established himself within the Battalion and was promoted to Cpl during this tour.

In 1956 the Suffolk Regiment were deployed on an operational tour to Cyprus to be involved in the EOKA campaign and Stan was embarking on his first operational tour.

During the Cyprus tour Stan was promoted to Sergeant and posted back to the UK as a Permanent Staff Instructor with D (Cambridgeshire) Company of the Suffolk Regiment. During this tour.

Stan also married the love of his life Jenny and together they presented a formidable combination.

In 1959 the Suffolk regiment amalgamated with the Royal Norfolk’s to form the 1st East Anglian Regiment. The parade took place in Iserlohn in West Germany and Stan re-joined the new Regiment.

It is recorded that the amalgamation was achieved with aplomb in the Officers Mess, with intense competition in the Sgt’s Mess, and with punch-ups in the NAAFI.

As the Royal Norfolk’s were already situated in Iserlohn the Suffolk’s had to fight to establish themselves and only the best survived.

After a short period in Iserlohn in 1960 the 1st East Anglian Regiment known as the Vikings were posted to Berlin and Stan was now a Platoon Sergeant in 9 Platoon, C Company.

At the beginning of 1964 the Battalion were deployed on yet another operational tour, this time to Aden. The 1st East Anglian Regiment had arrived in Aden as a garrison battalion in early 1964 ; however they soon become involved in early May in what was to be known as the Radfan War. Eventually only the final objective of the Force Commander, the Jebel Huriyah, at 5,500 feet the highest peak in the Radfan, remained to be captured. On the night of 10 June, the 1st East Anglian Regiment scaled the heights of the great Jebel, their route up the jagged slopes lit by flares dropped by Shackleton bombers, and by 04.50 hours they were on the summit, looking down at the lights of Aden town 40 miles to the south.

On Formation Day, on 1 September, 1964, and the months that followed The 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, as it had become, found them carrying out internal security tasks in Aden, plus additional tours in the Radfan before the end of the tour.

In October 1964 Stan was posted again as a Permanent Staff Instructor to 4 Royal Norfolk’s in Kings Lynn.

In 1965 the 1st Bn The Royal Anglian Regiment returned from Aden to Celle in West Germany as a Mechanised Infantry Battalion and in 1967 Stan re-joined the Battalion there as a CQMS with C Company.

In 1968 the Battalion moved back to Catterick in Yorkshire . They were roled as a UK based Mechanised Infantry Battalion and would return to BAOR annually to exercise in mechanised warfare. Initially the Battalion was split between Alma Bks and Bourlon Bks until they moved into Somme Lines en masse. During the period in Catterick Stan was promoted to Warrant Officer and took over as Company Sergeant Major of Command and Admin Company.

In early 1970 the Battalion moved to Londonderry, to take up post as the first 2 year resident Battalion in Ebrington Bks. The Barracks; formerly known as HMS Sea Eagle, although the Bn’s home for nearly two years saw very little of the men who were continually deployed during the troubles. Stan at this time was now CSM of Support Company.

In 1972 the Battalion moved to Cyprus and this period saw the Battalion stationed in Salamanca Lines, Episkopi with Support Company at Dhekelia. During this tour the Battalion also exercised in Kenya and Sharjah.

Whilst Cyprus was intended to be somewhat of a reward posting; Stan however only got to spend just over six months in the sun before he was selected for promotion to RSM; his boxes were packed for Gibraltar when Col Hall-Tipping; (who I believe is here today) his old Company Commander and then Commanding Officer of the Pompadours intervened and Stan joined the 3rd Battalion in Paderborn West Germany in November 72 specifically for the forthcoming tour to Northern Ireland.

This was without a doubt the Vikings loss and the Pompadours gain.

Stan was not a man who was easily outranked and it is not often that he got caught out, but one recorded story concerns the period just after Stan arrived with the Pompadours. He had issued an order that no one was to queue outside the NAAFI until 1000hrs. One day a certain someone, then a young subaltern left his Platoon Lines and on passing the NAAFI noticed quite a long queue and it was only 0950hrs.

Looking towards Battalion Headquarters he saw the RSM appear and thought this is going to be interesting. As the RSM’s chest swelled and he was about to shout; he was beaten to it by the Padre who was in the panic stricken queue. The Padre suddenly said “Gentlemen let us bow our heads in prayer, RSM would you like to join us?” Stan was speechless and duly joined in the prayers. It is believed that the RSM had a quiet word with the Padre later, for he was never seen in the NAAFI queue again!

After his tour as RSM in 1975 Stan was selected for a commission and joined the 2nd Battalion as Families Officer followed by MTO. Although only with the Poachers for just over two years, he is fondly remembered by Pete Keal and others as giving good steady advice during his time with them.

In 78 it was off again to the 7th Battalion in Leicester as Quartermaster. During this tour he had an integral part in the Presentation of Colours parade held by the 7th Battalion.

In 1981 it was time to move yet again and he returned to the Pompadours in Colchester, then Minden as a Quartermaster until 1985. During this tour the unit were also posted to Belize in 1982 for a six month emergency tour. During the Belize tour Stan had his support staff decked out in yellow T shirts with ‘We are Stan’s Gang’ on the back. Stan wore a shirt simply emblazoned with ’I am Stan’. He was also manager of the Pompadours 6 aside football team that won the Eastern District and went on to the Army Championships.

After Minden it was off to 5 UDR as Quartermaster until 1988 and in 1988 he was awarded the MBE in recognition of distinguished service in Northern Ireland.

Later in 1988 he joined BMATT Zimbabwe until 1990 before returning to the Depot at Bassingbourn and retiring in 1990.

Fortunately for us, Stan had his own ideas about retirement and he then took up post as the QM of 6 Royal Anglian until in 1996, in his own words he fully retired. It should be noted that Stan also had a commission with the Army Cadet Force which he didn’t resign until 1st July 1999.

A total of forty five years service to Queen and Country.

It is difficult if not impossible to recount all of Stan’s military career and pay him the tribute that he so justly deserves. Stan was affectionately known as ‘Stan the Man’ and he had gained a reputation for simply getting the job done; any job no matter how difficult or seemingly impossible.

The Regimental Ethos states that ‘We are a county based Regiment bound together by a closely-knit family spirit. Our approach is classless, based on mutual respect and trust, where developing and believing in our soldiers is paramount. We are a forward looking, self-starting and welcoming team for whom the mission remains key’.

I can think of no man that epitomises that ethos more.

During his military career Stan was an asset to all of the units that he served with, he was respected by his peers and contemporaries alike and he always maintained the very highest standards of military professionalism and tradition.

Stan was a mentor to many, myself and others here today included; General Jack Dye stated that ‘A Regiment is not just one Generation’. Well Stan encompassed several generations and his legacy will definitely live on for many years.

Each of us here today and many who were unable to attend, will have our own memories of Stan: As a soldier; totally professional at all times…As a Viking, Poacher and Pompadour; a true legend…and as a person; a real gentleman, a lovely man and a total one off.

Our thoughts are very much with Tina, Glenn and the rest of the family at this difficult time.

Goodbye Sir and God Speed.