In June 1959 Trooper Daz Lamaont left his home in Northern Ireland and headed east to join the Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars in Hohne.
Thus began the varied career of one of the Regiment’s most notable characters – once met; never forgotten. Daz, whose twenty-two years in the Irish Hussars, took him to Germany (several tours), Aden, Malaysia, Borneo, Bovington and Tidworth, tried his hand at many jobs: he became the driver of a Ferret Scout Car for about five minutes (it didn’t suit) and had spells in the cookhouse, the provost staff, the officers’ mess, and driving a water-cart as well as becoming for a time, the regimental butcher.
He ended his service in Tidworth as the invaluable assistant to the training warrant officer. He performed each role to his entire satisfaction – each one affording Dazzler the maximum opportunity to take life as gently as possible.
The Corporals’ Mess and many squadron bars echoed with his tales of derring-do in the desert, jungle and the bars of Hohne, Wolfenbutel and Paderborn, while severely berating anyone with the nerve to take lightly the regimental traditions he valued so highly.
He retired in October 1981 to join his family members in Plymouth, but this too didn’t last long and he emigrated to Wool and his favourite pub – the Black Bear.
Few are the reunions of Association troops at which the older members fail to recall Dazzler. That is the mark of his enduring memory.
Mr D. Lamaont died on the 9th of December 2022. He served with QRIH from 1959-81.
