Major Mike Gunton

on 4 November  2001 aged 71

Maj Mike KD Gunton of New Romney, aged 71, on 4 Nov 2001. Born 23 Oct 1930, he was educated at Christ's Hospital where he became captain of cricket, rugby and boxing. He continued all 3 sports in the Army and played several times for the Army at rugby.
Commissioned in 1951, Mike joined 1 R Norfolk in Dover and served 1951-54 in Korea. While serving as an A Coy Pl Comd in Korea he was wounded. At the Coronation in 1953, both recalled from the Far East, the late Maj Neil Pullen carried the Queen's Colour and Mike carried the Regimental Colour. Mike continued his boxing prowess by winning the Hong Kong Inter-Service Heavyweight boxing in 1954/5. Then followed service 1954 in Hong Kong, Depot 1955-56, KAR 1956-58 and Divisional Staff 1958-61. Subsequent service was in British Guyana 1962, 1 R ANGLIAN Felixstowe as Company Commander 1962- 64 under CO Gen Jack Dye; Coy Commander Malaysian Rangers 1965-69 on active service. He held various staff appointments in England 1969-74, with 1 R ANGLIAN Celle 1974 -76, UN Forces Cyprus 1976-78, Div HQ Herford 1978-82 and as Recruiting Officer Birmingham 1982-86. Mike retired in 1986 as a Major and ran the Firing ranges at Lydd in Kent as an RO3. He finally retired in 1992 through ill health. He continued to live in New Romney until his death where he enjoyed the visits of many old Army and school friends.
Two buglers from 1 Royal Anglian played calls at his funeral in Kent.
In 1955 Mike married Monique, daughter of Gen Hayes who was Colonel of the Regiment in 1951. He is survived by his widow Monique, twin daughters Marieanne and Noelle, 2 grandchildren and his brother Brian.    Paul Boxall and Brian Gunton

Capt Freddy Herring gave the following address at Brian's funeral service on 13 Nov 2001:
Like a number of people here, I've been lucky enough to be one of Mike's friends for more than 50 years. I would like to express just a few personal thoughts about him.
I first met him in the Army, in which he served for most of his adult life. I was with him for only about ten years - so most of my best memories of him are from those early days. But they were more than enough for me to know him well, and to appreciate the very fine person that he was.
Mike joined the Army after a great school career at Christ's Hospital where he was Captain not only of rugger, but of cricket and boxing too. He entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the autumn of 1949. I watched from the sidelines while he performed brilliantly in all the sports and in every military activity and earned himself a formidable reputation. He became the 1950s version of a 'superstar'.
Incidentally, towards the end of our training, I learned to my dismay that he had applied to join the Royal Norfolk Regiment - because I had, too, and there was only one vacancy. I had visions of having to join some other Regiment.
It all came to a head when we were summoned, together, for an interview with the Colonel of the Regiment, Maj Gen EC Hayes. This was a crucial day for both of us, because only one of us could be successful. General Hayes gave us a very hard time, and after the interview we were both shell-shocked and despondent. I have a hazy recollection that we drowned our sorrows together in the Red Lion in Hythe.
A little later, Gen Hayes announced that he'd decided to create two vacancies in the Regiment instead of one, and to accept us both. This time we celebrated our good fortune together - in the Red Lion in Hythe.
So Mike was commissioned into the Royal Norfolk Regiment in 1951. He was a really impressive man, with all the qualities one would like to see in oneself. But he had another great asset that one might politely call 'cosmetic'. He looked very distinguished and rather senior before he was twenty-one. I will never forget the day he joined the 1st Bn The Royal Norfolk Regiment, as a very young 2nd Lt, at Dover Castle. He walked into the ante-room for the first time just before dinner. Most of the officers were there, and most of them jumped to their feet like scalded cats when they saw him. Not just politely - but as if a visiting General had walked into the room. I don't know who was the most embarrassed.
I was lucky enough to serve with Mike in England, Korea and Hong Kong, and for me and many others his friendship made it an unforgettable time. We still competed, of course, but only for fun - a kind of continuous 'oneupmanship'.
Mike carried the competition and the 'oneupmanship' a bit far, we thought, when he proposed marriage to Gen Hayes' daughter, Monique. But no one could blame him for that!
In the Korean War, as several members of the Regiment here today will remember, Mike was an outstanding young commander - brave, decisive, and very reassuring. He was as steady as a rock in hard or dangerous times, and just the same when times were good. He was a born leader - and he believed in leading by example, from the front.
His soldiers would have followed him anywhere - and indeed they did. When he was wounded in close-quarter fighting on a night patrol, his men carried him a long way back to his company position, in the dark and with enemy patrols in the area. His brother Brian and I have agreed that if he hadn't been Mike, they might well have been unable to take on such a difficult and dangerous rescue.
After that introduction to the Regiment and to military service - and the honour of a summons to England to take part in the Coronation Ceremonies of 1953 - Mike served in many parts of the world: with the Regiment in Hong Kong, based in the New Territories close to the Chinese border; with the King's African Rifles in Kenya (where the dreaded Idi Amin was a Warrant Officer in his battalion - though I'm sure he never got the better of Mike); in British Guiana; on active service with the Malaysian Rangers in Malaya and Borneo, where he made a great name for himself during the troubles of the 1960s; with the United Nations force in Cyprus, in action against the EOKA terrorists; and with the Regiment in the British Army of the Rhine - and in a number of interesting and demanding posts in England. In all these situations and in all these places Mike served with the same dedication and the same distinction as he did in his early years.
He retired from the army in 1986 but he still hadn't had enough. He continued to serve as a Retired Officer, running the ranges and training areas at Lydd (a job he really enjoyed, because he loved the country and its wildlife, and he loved to live at home) until he finally retired, for the second time, in 1992.
In addition to all this, in addition to a lifetime of distinguished service to his country, Mike achieved his most important success of all : a long, happy and loyal family life: with Monique, with two delightful daughters, Marieanne and Noelle, and two lovely granddaughters, Phillippa and Nicola - and a very large number of good friends.
Mike was a man of great achievement and fine qualities: integrity, courage, determination, loyalty, great kindness and good humour and the high principles which were natural to him. He was an inspiring man, and I think he was a real Christian Soldier.
All of us who knew him, loved him and respected him, I'm sure none of us will ever forget the fine person that he was. He'll always be with us in spirit and in memory. We can all celebrate his happy and successful life, and I'm sure that this will be a great comfort to his family and to us all.    Freddy Herring