Geoffrey Fielden who died on 19 February 1985 aged 91 was born at Headington, near Oxford and was commissioned into the 7th Hussars in 1913. Shortly after he joined the Regiment in India.

In 1917 he was attached to the Royal Flying Corps in Ismailia, where he learnt to fly various light aircraft. With a pilot’s licence, he hoped for a transfer to the Western Front, but he was retained in the Middle East as a flying instructor. He flew operations in Persia before returning to the UK with a posting to the
Cavalry School at Netheravon.

By April 1921 Geoffrey was with the Regiment and in 1923 he returned again to England. October 1926 saw him as ADC to the Earl of Athlone in South Africa where he remained until 1928.

During his next tour in the UK, he married Virginia Inglis, at St. Margarets, Westminster. They became much travelled both before and after the war and their marriage was an exceptionally happy one.

Geoffrey represented the Regiment in the Final of the Inter Regimental Polo at Hurlingham in 1934, in which they beat The Greys.

1936 found the Regiment en route for Cairo, where they were equipped with light tanks. In 1940 Geoffrey who had taken over command took the Regiment to the Western Desert but in November he was severely wounded when his tank was hit during a night attack on Fort Capuzzo.

After his recovery, he took over command of the RAC Base Depot in Abbassia, where he was a friend in deed to many officers stationed in or passing through Cairo at that time. He was awarded the OBE in March 1946.

Geoffrey was appointed Colonel of the 7th Hussars in 1946 and held the appointment for 2 years until he and Virginia moved to Cape Province, where they restored a very lovely Dutch farmhouse and developed a vine farm.

A long-remembered visit to the Regiment in Hong Kong followed in the early fifties. They hungered however for Europe and in 1964, when Geoffrey was over 70, they moved to Rome and later to Tuscany. After Virginia’s death in 1981, Geoffrey came home.

Geoffrey Fielden was a truly delightful man and a cavalry officer of the old school. Our deepest sympathy is extended to his nephew.

Related topics

  1. A short history of The 7th Hussars
  2. Timeline: Middle East (Egypt and Libya)