Letters written to and B&C Extracts referring to
Major-General Sir David Thorne KBE CVO

Letter written by Norfolk Editor from Bosnia in May 1996:
'General Mike Willcocks (now, in 2003, Sir Michael, Black Rod) appeared here on Thursday with his successor and the opportunity was used to present three departing TA members with their NATO medal. Being on Night Shift I don't normally rise until 5.30 pm but was up at 3 pm and reported to the Brigadier's XO, (Executive Officer - as you no doubt know!) at 4 pm, to check on dress. I was in a brand new shirt, an ancient pair of temperate combat trousers and a fairly clean pair of boots.
'I hope you are going to smarten yourself up,' the cheeky young Captain said!
In the line-up was a Royal Engineer Major with a belt over his combat jacket, a Royal Logistic Corps Warrant Officer in combat jacket with a drawstring pulling in the waist. My combat jacket has no draw string so was baggy! A French Colonel removed his belt and waved it at me from the far side of the OPS Room but I declined!
As General Willcocks was about to reach me I thought: 'I know he has a helicopter to catch for a conference with General Mike Walker, Karl Bildt and Lady Chalker and will not stay once he has done the business. I'll pass on General David's greetings verbally as he fiddles with the medal.'
It is all a matter of timing. I passed on your greetings just as he was thrusting the two long pins of the medal down into my baggy jacket. A mistake. He was so surprised he jabbed the pins in horizontally. General Willcocks kindly had me flown to 212 MASH and was late for his meeting.'

On the next occasion we met a finger, accompanied by that engaging smile, was wagged!
B&C 86 Jun 96
GENERAL COMMENTS

YOU HAVE DONE WELL !
At annual TA camp a General was visiting, his first since appointment as Director Volunteers, Territorials and Cadets.
He asked a LCpl from the 6 RANGLIAN, Norwich (Apache) Platoon, then commanded by Lt Col Miles Green, for how long he had been in the TA.
'Two years sir.'
'You have done well', responded the great man.
'And how long have you been in the TA?' enquired the curious LCpl.
The General thought about this and replied, 'About two weeks.'
'You have done bloody well, sir!'
BELIEF
General Sir Ian Freland was visiting A (Royal Norfolk) Coy at Annual Camp at Otterburn in 1976.
Speaking to Pte Chieseman of the Norwich (Apache) Platoon, the General enquired what he did when not with the TA.
'You are not going to believe this sir, but I am a lightship keeper.'
'I'll believe anything about the TA!' responded the General.

DARTS
General Sir David Thorne was back from the Falklands, as the first Commander British Forces and Military Commissioner for the Falkland Islands, 1982-3, and enjoying a quiet pint of Watneys in the 'Lord Napier' in Camberwell with Pat 'Flaps Down' Darley. Challenged to a game of darts by 2 local lads they agreed. Conversation revealed that Sir David had just returned from the Falklands after army service.
With dart in mid flight, an opponent queried: 'I suppose you were a ****** officer ?'
'Something like that,' was the reply.
The pair from the 9th won handsomely!

FLAPS DOWN
The late Maj David Standley TD (d 1987) was at Annual Camp with the 4th Bn at Buckenham Tofts on Stanford. He related how one officer spent R&R afternoons with the bell tent brailing 'flaps down'. The said officer was henceforth known as 'Flaps Down'! Name witheld to protect the guilty! Errr .. see above!
B&C 90 Jun 98
A 24 YEAR OLD MYSTERY SOLVED
Tim 'Dick' Davies, was Sgt Pl Comd of 10 Pl, D Coy, 1st Bn in 1973, commanded by Lt Col David Thorne. They were enjoying a posting in Ipiskopi, Cyprus until one morning when all hell broke loose in the 'Headshed'. The RAF 'Admiral' in the Happy Valley Yacht Club had discovered that all the strip lights in the tunnel linking Happy Valley to the exclusive yacht club had been broken. Who else could it be but the resident Bn of 'Pongoes'?
The CO and RSM sent a task force to interrogate the Bn tearaways, to no avail. The angry 'Admiral' was fairly high on the local food chain so something had to be seen to be done. We were confined to barracks, less the married pads, extra runs up and down Troodos, company drill etc. In short, quite a lot of pain was had by all, including, to be fair, the 'Headshed' and even the storemen! And there the matter ended. Until ......
In 1977 I recruited an ex-Navy man as a driver. (Yes, I know, but I was desperate!) One day we were talking and I mentioned Happy Valley. 'I’ve been there,' he said. It seems the Navy maintains a list of sailors who have not had shore leave so parties of sailors are put ashore, whether they like it or not. My driver was one abandoned in Happy Valley. After wandering about the polo pitch they came across the tunnel. One had found a tennis ball and was bouncing it off the roof. It hit a light and as the descending glass made a brilliant noise they proceeded through the tunnel, accounting for all the lights, leaving the Vikings to carry the can.
It just goes to show that sooner or later the truth will out.

NORWICH IN 1957 TO NORWICH IN 1998
Maj David Spalding MBE related that as a National Serviceman he reported to the Royal Norfolk Depot at Britannia Barracks in Nov 57 as a National Serviceman. His Pl Comd was Lt David Thorne. After signing on he joined the East Anglian Depot as a Trainer, became a Sgt with 4 R ANGLIAN and rejoined 1 R ANGLIAN in Cyprus as WO2 RQMS where Lt Col David Thorne was CO. He later served as RSM 6 R ANGLIAN and QM 1 R ANGLIAN. Remembering his service in Londonderry with General Sir Michael Walker KCB CMG CBE ADC he said: 'He was the best.' David later became PSAO (Permanent Staff Admin Offr) to the Essex Coy of 6 R ANGLIAN. Sitting opposite him at the 4th Bn Royal Norfolk Regt Officers' Dinner Club around the Chilianwala Table in the Officers' Mess at Aylsham Road in April 1998 was Maj General Sir David Thorne KBE CVO. Welcome back!
B&C 91 Dec 98
KITCHEN RALLY
A letter in an unknown British national newspaper from JR Drew of Fleet, Hants:
'Some time ago, after the Army Board had decided to change the title 'cook' to 'chef', the Quartermaster General asked a soldier his trade during an inspection at Aldershot.
'I’m a cook, sir,' came the reply.
'Oh no you’re not,' said the QMG, 'you’re a chef.'
Passing on to the next soldier in line, the QMG asked about his trade. 'A chef, sir,' he replied.
'Excellent!' beamed the QMG. 'How long have you been a chef?'
'About 15 seconds, sir.'
Click for Hev' yow hed yer tea yit Capn' Godfrey?,  Pilchards Colonel? and  Rotten Turkey Egg Omelette

A GENERAL COMPETITION
On the subject of General matters, now for something completely different - an opportunity to put words in the mouth of a General.
Think of an appropriate response by Maj Gen Sir David Thorne KBE CVO to the question posed by Maj Tony Ferrier in the  photograph below. That judged the most amusing will receive a Regimental tie, or items to its equivalent value.

Click photographs to enlarge
The answer would have been:
On this site is the full text of the two addresses, never previously published, and only heard by those present at Sir David's Thanksgiving Service in Norwich Cathedral on 17 July 2000. It was intended to summarise these for publication in the B&C but to edit the 8000 words would have been a travesty. Click here for the address by General Sir Michael Walker and here for that by Miss Helen Tridgell.
Click here for the obituary which appeared in Issue 94, Jun 2000 'Britannia and Castle'
Click here for an opening tribute in B&C 94 Jun 2000 to Sir David
Gen Sir David Thorne Cathedral Memorial
Click for a Salute to this unique, special and uncommonly great man - the most inspiring person you could ever know

Editorial Rule
 To qualify for inclusion in the B&C there is only one rule - something described must have been said to have happened. 
The authority is the Editor, British Army Review No 114 Dec 96, `If the facts don`t fit the legend, print the legend’.
However, the rules of good taste, respect and confidentiality are always applied.

Rule Britannia!

Site edited and maintained by Major JL Raybould TD
Editor, Norfolk Section, The Britannia and Castle
 B&C Norfolk Editor