The Collection of Medals Formed by Bill and Angela Strong

Brigadier W.E. Strong, C St J

I tried everything from chartered accountancy through to jazz drumming without any discernable success, so in desperation I joined the Army in 1963. Initially I wanted to be in the Intelligence Corps but failed entry twice; actually one could argue that was my first success as you’re normally only allowed to fail once. Realising the infantry could be hazardous and particularly wearing on the feet I found the regiment furthest away from the front line, becoming a gunner, which some describe as sappers with humour (but I can’t understand why). My career was more noteworthy for its longevity. I avoided the three deadly sins: don’t run off with the CO’s wife, lose a secret document or fiddle a travel claim and I soldiered on until medical discharge in 1999.

My first posting to BAOR then led to the UK. I avoided Kuching in Sarawak as the confrontation would be over before getting there, persuading Denis Healey (yes, really, although he did make it clear via my CO and many extra orderly officer’s duties you could only get away with writing direct to the Defence Minister as a 2/Lt once) to let me go on secondment to Aden. Spending...

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