Peter Brinson, who had a distinguished career as a writer, critic and teacher in the world of ballet, is remembered in the Regiment for his outstanding service as adjutant to Peter Farquhar during the Italian campaign and the preceding period of reorganisation and training.
He went up to Oxford in 1938 but like so many of his generation interrupted his studies to join the Army. Commissioned into the Royal Tank Regiment, he joined the 3rd Hussars after El Alamein and within a few months was selected to be adjutant.
Always calm and unworried, immensely hard-working, clear thinking and with a quick brain, he was a great success both in training and in action.
Colonel Peter said of him, ‘I had an outstanding young adjutant, Peter Brinson, but for whom I should have collapsed. It is interesting that these two, so disparate in background and interests, should have gotten on so well. One an intellectual, an aesthete and with political views a very long way left of centre; the other 20 years his senior, a regular cavalry officer, devoted to foxhunting and always ready for a party or a game of poker.
But these differences were superficial and underlying them were great respect for each other’s abilities and a shared determination to achieve and maintain an efficient, successful and happy Regiment.
He returned to Oxford after the war, gained a first and his subsequent achievements have been well detailed in the very full obituaries in the national press.
He was unmarried, and his younger brother Bill, who was also a 3rd Hussar and served with the 8th Hussars in Korea, died some years ago.
