Obituary for Ron Knights

Ron enlisted into the army on the 5th of September 1951, at the age of 18. He joined the first Battalion, the Suffolk Regiment, part of the East Anglian Brigade. Headquarters was at Gibraltar Barracks Bury Saint Edmunds (now the home of the Suffolk Regiment Museum and the Old Comrades Association) After his basic training in December 51, he was posted with the battalion to Far East Land Forces Singapore. The Battalion came home on the 2nd of December 1953.

Three months later, they were off again. This time to Trieste as part of the British Element Trieste force. From Trieste they were posted to Germany for two years. After a five week home trip, the battalion was posted to Cyprus for just over two and a half years.

In May 1959 they were home in the UK for 100 days, then headed back to Germany for 22 months, before another UK posting. Fuzzies final posting abroad found him in British Guyana eight months later. He returned home and was finally demobbed on the 4th of September 1963, after 12 years loyal service. He was awarded the General Service medal Malaya and clasp Cyprus.

Fuzzy‘s best mate through his army service was Bernard (Pop) Whitwell. Pop was in the corps of drums along with Fuzzy who was a side drummer and bugler. Fuzzy often visited the family home in Whittlesey and the family remember Fuzzy always being around and his sense of humour. They recall when he was living in Wisbech how he kept budgerigars. When Pops passed away in 2019, Barry took Fuzzy to the funeral which was very moving.

In Felixstowe, Ron maintained his links with the past. He was a staunch member of the Old Comrades Felixstowe branch and would always be present when able. He especially enjoyed the formal dinners and was always immaculately turned out. He was a very polite and kind person and Barry and his wife Helen, along with all Suffolk and Royal Anglian Regiment Association members, will certainly miss him.

For the last twenty five years, Ron lived in Mays Court housing complex in Felixstowe. It was there he met Tina when she started working there twelve years ago. She helped him keep his home clean and tidy. Ron was a very cheeky chappy always playing pranks on people his whole life, and he kept Tina on her toes tying the string mop to the bucket, and with other little jokes too!

With such a sense of humour it is not surprising that Ron was adored by Tina’s grandchildren: Harry, Ralphie and Poppy. Harry loved to joke about with him and as Ralphie shared the same birthday 21st of February they would always celebrate together. Ron was forever irritated that his birth certificate stated he was born on the 20th of February 1933, and he enjoyed sharing the same date with Ralphie. He would often bring Tina’s family along to the to the hut on the promenade for the Old Comrades functions and Barry thought it wonderful to watch Ron come alive as he played with the children.

Tina and her daughter Helen would take him to the doctors and to hospital appointments and together they would attend the Legion fish and chip day every year. Minden day was a yearly outing for Ron and he knew Tina’s dad who was also in the Suffolk’s. Helen remembers how she would often find Ron with his photo albums out, and she would love to listen to his stories from Malaya and Sydney and other places.

Ron always kept himself busy. He enjoyed a little flutter on the dogs and horses, but never too much, a standard £3 bet but on occasions he’d have a nice little win. On a Saturday, he would walk to the newsagents to get the newspaper to study form, and then later catch the bus and go up town to place his bet. Ron called the bookies his accountants. Helen remembers the weekly food shop outings into town when they would always start at the accountants. Ron remained fit enough to walk unaided without a stick or any frame and after catching the bus uphill to town, he would happily walk downhill home, stopping off religiously at Greggs for his coffee and a sausage roll.

He enjoyed the odd trip to Great Yarmouth to see the dogs, or to revisit his old haunts of Hunstanton and Wells. Ron looked forward to the annual trip to Thursford Carol Concert at Christmas and enjoyed some Tinsel and Turkey holidays. He loved the trips on the coaches with Galloways, whom he affectionately called GALLOP AWAYS. Just the week before he passed, Ron had the pleasure of a trip to Brighton with Tina and Helen. Ron believed life was for living so whilst he was fit enough he ensured he lived life and continued to get out and about.

Ron was proud and didn’t like to ask for help…. and he always had a smile on his face no matter what life threw at him. He will be remembered fondly by so many – God bless you, Fuzzy