Captain Sharp (Bernard) was born in Grimston on the 23rd of March 1930, the youngest of five children. Bernard’s father was the Blacksmith in the village of Grimston in Holderness of the East Riding of Yorkshire.
During his childhood war was declared and an Army camp was built near Grimston Hall during this time he and his friends could be seen marching behind the soldiers with their wooden toy guns.
During the war, his three brothers joined the services, Harry (Army), Arthur and Ronnie (Navy). Sadly, Ronnie was killed on the HMS Royal Oak at Scapa Flow.
On leaving school he and his father worked on the land by day and as Blacksmiths by night. During this period, he would visit the Riding Master at Grimston Hall who taught him to ride. He had the good fortune to ride out on many occasions with Lady de Grimston.
After one Sunday afternoon on the beach, he decided to join the services at Hull but not to tell his parents until the last minute.
His Army career started on the 11th September 1949 at the age of 19, when he joined The 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars and then after amalgamation in 1958 the Queens Royal Irish Hussars; serving in Korea, Borneo, Malaya, Germany, Cyprus and the United Kingdom.
He held most positions within the Regiment on his way to being Commissioned in 1974.
On retiring from the Regiment, he worked for the Company of Merchant Taylors Hall in York, the Education Department at the centre of the outdoor pursuit at Stape, North Yorkshire Bernard also recognised during his early days of retirement the lack of a focal point for ex-members of the Regiment in the Yorkshire area and formed the very successful York Troop Bernard was a family man and was married to Mary for 65 years.
Bernard passed away peacefully on the 3rd of November 2017 with all his family around him.
