Mark Fearfield, who died on 9 March 2005, aged 80, served with the 4th Hussars from 1948 to 1957.
He was educated at Winchester and served with the Scots Guards in the latter stages of the war in Europe. After the war, the Scots Guards were reduced to two battalions, and he was obliged to go elsewhere.
He joined the 4th Hussars in Colchester in 1948 and soon afterwards sailed to Malaya with the Regiment.
He was initially appointed second Captain in ‘B’ Squadron, and later in ‘C’ Squadron. While commanding a detachment from ‘B’ Squadron at Ng Tong Kiat he was out after a pig one evening by himself, armed with a shotgun. To his surprise he found two armed terrorists were approaching him on the same jungle track. He shot one dead and then legged it back to camp.
He returned from Malaya with the Regiment at the end of 1951, and soon afterwards was seconded to the East African Armoured Car Regiment for three years during the Mau Mau troubles.
He returned to the Regiment, now in Hohne, Germany, in 1955 and was appointed 2IC ‘C’ Squadron. Soon afterwards he fell in love with Cecilia, but this was not a good career move as she was the wife of the Commanding Officer (Loopy Kennard).
In 1957 he was posted as an instructor to Mons Officer Cadet School from where he left the Army, marrying Cecilia in 1958.
Thereafter he lived happily with Cecilia, running her estate at Thorpe Malsor, Northamptonshire in a most effective way.
Mark was a good soldier with great ability. He was probably far more popular with his contemporaries and those junior to himself than authority, as at times he could be quite critical and mutinous. He was a forceful character with strong views, intelligence, and a good leader.
He ran Thorpe Malsor in an exemplary manner, and there are many lasting memorials to his stewardship. He was very much a hands-on person doing a large amount of manual work himself.
While Mark was highly regarded in the County where he was a Deputy Lieutenant, he was even more popular in the village, and did more than his fair share of good works. Mark and Cecilia were both dedicated salmon fishers, and at various times they fished all the best beats on the best rivers in Scotland, and, in addition, made an annual visit to Iceland. They were personal friends of that great fishing guru John Ashley Cooper.
Mark and Cecilia were delighted when in 1999 Louise (Cecilia’s granddaughter) and her husband Crispin Holborow moved to the village, shortly to be followed by Zandra (Cecilia’s daughter) and her husband Johnny Powell.
To the surprise of some, this arrangement of four generations living in close proximity worked extremely well, and everyone was very happy.
Cecilia died in January 2001, and thereafter Mark was something of a lost soul without her. He will be remembered with great affection by his many friends, and sadly missed.
