B&C No 95 Dec 00

Margaret Styles telephoned to say that Maj Tom Styles is severely immobile following a stroke and an operation for an abdominal aneurism while on holiday in the USA. He is now resident in The Royal Star and Garter Home, Richmond. For some time Tom has been the source of my favourite pieces in the B&C, writing under the pseudonym Yan Moosun. Gems were Winkie Fitt and The Rum B&C 87 Dec 96; Maj `Wiggy’ Wigginton 91 Dec 98 and 92 Jun 99; The K Force 94 Jun 00 and there were other pieces in B&C Nos 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 92 and 93 - an unparalleled total of 23.
Tom’s first piece in B&C 85 Dec 96 mentioned the late Maj Gen Trevor Hart CB RAMC and it is Tom we thank for his efforts in rekindling contact. Sadly, Trevor died this autumn. Click here for more on Trevor and here for Trevor’s obituary.
Five copies of Tom's pieces on Wiggy were requested by Mrs Pat Wigginton for her grandchildren.
They always came on disc - what a good chap!
The Dec 99 and Jun 00 issues of The Royal Anglian Regt Castle magazine carried a quiz question and answer about a photograph of The Team from The Depot, Blenheim Camp, Bury St Edmunds at RAF Cranwell in Jun 1963, judging the RAF Cadets' Drill Competition.
With a very bemedalled Tom were WO1 (RSM) Ray Baldry (later Capt, d 97), WO2 Ted Holden and Capt John Hutchings.
Tom had not seen the magazine so a copy was obtained from The Regimental Secretary, Col Tony Taylor, and posted.
Tom's note at the foot of the photograph reads: 'It was a tradition that we, from the Depot, would judge the annual drill competition at RAF Cranwell.'
I know Tom would appreciate a letter or card: Royal Star and Garter Home, Richmond-On-The-Hill, Richmond, Surrey, TW10 6RS.
Afternote by Webmaster Apr 03: John Hutchings added: 'At the time I was Adjutant of the East Anglian Brigade Depot, Tom Styles was OC HQ Coy, Maj Ray Baldry was RSM and Ted Holden was CSM Training Coy. Do you know the whereabouts of Tom and Ted?
The annual Inter-Squadron Drill Competition at the RAF College Cranwell was usually judged by a team from the Guards Depot at Pirbright. However, in 1963, due to the efforts of Maj Angus Robertson of the 3rd East Anglian Regt (16th/44th Foot), then the Army instructor at Cranwell, we were invited to officiate. It was a pleasure and a privilege and they were kind enough to say that our marking system was much fairer than the Brigade of Guards!  Brig AFFH Robertson CBE, is now President of the 16th Foot Association and he lives in Suffolk.
The RAF were extremely hospitable and we stayed two nights. On the first evening they organised a Treasure Hunt which, as I recall, seemed to require visits to half the pubs in Lincolnshire. On the second night we had a formal Mess Dinner and the next day, after the competition, a huge lunch. We had stamina in those days, nearly 40 years ago! As I recall this was a one off occasion and we were not called upon to officiate again, but I could be wrong about that.'

Index of Maj Tom Styles' Pieces