Taff Field joined the 4th Queen’s Own Hussars in December 1937 at Tidworth and soon became one of Maj Lillingston’s grooms. He served with the Regiment in the Greek Campaign as a troop Corporal, then returned to Egypt as a troop Sergeant with ‘A’ Squadron.
In the Western Desert, he was rescued from his burning tank by Sgt ‘Ginger’ Broderick who was awarded a well-deserved MM on a ‘hush hush’ mission to the Qattara Depression one night, Ginger Broderick writes…that it was a complete success and we destroyed 56 vehicles of a main Italian FTQ 20 miles behind their line at Alamein. We had one officer killed and some minors wounded. That was the day and the night I met Sgt “Taffy’ Field a Soldier’
Serving without a break in Cyprus, Egypt and Italy, and through the Gothic Line, the troop Corporal and two others were killed by enemy action. His professionalism saw him through the subsequent battles which the squadron fought, over the many river crossings to the Senio- and eventually the Reno and Po.
A well-deserved Mention in Despatches was to follow.
In April 1945 he left the Regiment after four years’ service abroad and was posted to the Gunnery Wing AFV School, serving there until his discharge in June 1946
With great persistence, he managed to obtain in 1995 his citation from the Greek Embassy recognising his service in Greece. This is now in the Regimental Museum. The citation contains the words Fortunate Is The One Who Defends His Country. This Taff did in full measure.
May the old warrior rest in peace. Our sympathies go out to his widow, Edith and their children and grandchildren.
