Warrant Officer Class 1 RE Sprason

Obituary for Warrant Officer Class 1 RE Sprason

WO1 (RSM) Ronald Sprason served his Queen and Country with distinction for 24 years. He was born on 4 June 1928 in Birmingham and went to school at Mosely Secondary Modern and then later to Bordesley Technical School. He was too young to enlist during WW2 so he volunteered as a runner for the Home Guard. Then in July 1945, at the age of 17 and only 5’5” he enlisted as a junior entrant into The Gordon Highlanders. In 1947 he was posted with his Battalion to Egypt and later to Palestine.

In 1948 he returned to the UK with the rank of Corporal and returned to civilian life and transferred to the Reserve Force. But after six months, he re-joined as a regular and was posted to The Royal Warwickshire Regiment as a Corporal. Then in 1950, he was transferred to The Sherwood Foresters.

In 1951 he was posted to 1st Battalion The Royal Leicestershire Regiment in Hong Kong, and was soon promoted to Sergeant.

In October 1951 the Battalion was sent to Korea and it was here that Ron played a vital role in the critical aftermath of the battle known as Maryang-San, named after the mountain of that name. His platoon was in a defensive position when they were attacked by a massive Chinese force. As they invaded the trenches of D Company, only the quick thinking of the forward platoon under Lt. J.A. Burke and his Platoon Sergeant Ron Sprason saved the situation. Ron was among the 32 members of the Battalion who were awarded a Regimental lanyard for especially good service in Korea but for which no military award was given.

The Battalion returned home in 1952, then in June 1953 he was a member of the Escort to the Colours in 1 R Leicester’s Coronation Detachment at the Coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II. On his return from London, he and Moreen were married and their union eventually produced three children and in due course grandchildren.

In 1953 the Battalion was posted to Iserlohn, Germany and then in 1956 Ron was sent to the Depot Glen Parva Barracks as a Training Sergeant on a two-year posting. WO1 (RSM) Roger Jones was a recruit in 1956 and then a Training Corporal in 1957 remembers Sgt Sprason well. “He seemed to me a fearsome SNCO with a piercing ‘Word of Command’ and who was a brilliant all arms weapon instructor.”

Ron left the Depot in 1958 on promotion to CSgt and joined 1st Battalion in Plymouth. Two years later in 1960, the Battalion was posted to BAOR, this time to Muenster. Then in 1961 he was posted back to the Depot, this time firstly as CSM of HQ Company, then later as CSM of Training Company. However, in May 1963 the Depot was closed down and Ron was posted to 1st Battalion The 2nd East Anglian Regiment, which was stationed in Cyprus. It is worth noting that this was one of the first cross-postings of SNCOs between East Anglian Brigade/Royal Anglian battalions (in return, 4th Bn The Royal Anglian Regiment received WO2 Chippy Wood, who became CSM A Coy until 1966).

In 1964 Ron was promoted to RQMS and returned in late 1965 to the Battalion who had the previous year become 4th Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment. Following the Aden tour, the Battalion returned to Watchet in Somerset and then in 1966 moved to Malta on an accompanied 30-month posting. On 24 January 1967 Ron took over as RSM from WO1 Jimmy Jenks and was the last former Royal Leicester to be appointed RSM of The Tigers’ Regular Battalion. Major General A J G Pollard CB CBE DL was, at the time, the Adjutant to Ron’s RSM and remembers him as being an effective RSM who worked well within a very strong team commanded by Lt Colonel D R C Carter.

In August 1968, the Battalion returned to the UK, this time to Gordon Barracks in Kent and finally, in October 1969 having handed the baton over to WO1 Paul Garman, Ron retired from the Army at the age of 41. RSM Ronald Sprason was not just a parade ground powerhouse but a tested Korean combat veteran but, as David Grove recalls, “He was very small in stature but had a very large voice.”

On leaving the Army, Ron managed firstly a Post Office and then a Commercial Cleaning Company before starting his own business called Peerless Services. He was well into his 80s before he retired by handing over to his son, David, who says of his father, “He was passionate, direct, loving, meticulous, knowledgeable, exciting, assertive and a wonderful father, grandfather, soldier and devoted husband.”

In April 2011, Ron, by now aged 83, was persuaded to join the General Committee of the Royal Tigers’ Association and proved to be a valued member, bringing a breadth of gravitas and experience to the meetings. However, his wife’s illness combined with his near total deafness made it impossible for him to carry on, so he resigned reluctantly in November 2014. In his final years he embraced technology and became quite prevalent on Facebook using it to voice his very strong opinions.

Ron was a devoted family man who loved Moreen very deeply and, when she became very ill, cared for her 24/7. Her eventual loss was of great sorrow to him and all he wanted to do was to join her in heaven. His wish was granted when he joined Moreen on the 9 May 2018 at the age of one month short of 90, and just 15 months a widower.

Tony, Ron’s loving brother, said “Ron was the Sprason Family icon and father figure and was always ready to assist when any family member needed help. We all miss him greatly.”