‘Shoggy’ joined the 4th Queen’s Own Hussars in 1918 and was employed in the Orderly Room. He quickly gained promotion and by 1920 was the senior Corporal.
The Regiment sailed for India in September 1921 and by 1925 he was promoted to Orderly Room Sergeant. In addition during the nine years in India, Shoggy was very involved with the Regimental Entertainments which included a very successful double act with Ronnie Moss. Always extremely fit, he was the best Tennis player in the Regiment for a number of years.
When the Regiment returned to York in 1930 he left the Orderly Room to become the RQMS and for the next nine years, he also found time to run the Regimental Football Team. He was the RQMS during two very difficult periods, the transition from a Horsed Cavalry Regiment to a Light Armoured Regiment and the period of Mobilization August/September 1939.
Shoggy was commissioned as Quartermaster on the 16th February 1940 and saw action with the Regiment in Greece and in the Western Desert. He was invalided from the Regiment in June 1942 and served in the Middle East and Germany in a number of ERE appointments, his final appointment being Officer Commanding the Demobilization Centre at York until his retirement in 1956.
However, he did not entirely give up the Army at this point as he served for several years as a Retired Officer with the RAC Manning and Records Office at Enfield and at Whetstone.
For many years he was the Secretary of the 4th Queen’s Own Hussars Regimental Association and was a founder member of the Durham Troop. He always retained his contacts with the Associations and was a valued member of the Committee of both the 4th Queen’s Own Hussars and The Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars Associations until his death.
