John Batchelder was born in February 1916 and called up in March 1940. He was commissioned from the RAC OCTU in April 1941 into the Royal Gloucester Hussars.

Initially, he joined the 1st RGH in the UK and in July 1942 embarked for the Middle East to join the 2nd RGH who were fighting with the 8th Army.

However, the troop ship travelled via the Cape and did not reach Egypt until September, by which time the fighting in the Western Desert was virtually over and the 2nd RGH, having suffered a high level of casualties, was disbanded.

Therefore, until he returned from the Middle East in 1946 he held a number of ERE appointments in both the Middle East and Italy.

In late 1946 he was posted to India where he held a number of staff appointments, returning to the UK in November 1947.

Having been appointed to a Regular Commission in the 3rd Hussars he joined ‘B’ Squadron of the Regiment at Perham Down.

The Regiment moved to BAOR in 1948 where John served until his return to the UK to join the Regular Commission Board at Westbury in 1951.

In 1953 he went to the Shropshire Yeomanry as Second in Command, an appointment he held until 1955, returning to the Regiment in 1956 as a Squadron Leader.

In 1958 he was briefly Second in Command of 3H prior to the amalgamation with 7H and was then Second in Command of QOH until May 1959.

Thereafter, until he retired in November 1971, he held appointments with Military Corrective and Training Centres in the UK and the Far East.

Related topics

  1. A short history of The 3rd Hussars
  2. A short history of The Queen’s Own Hussars