Geoff died on 3 October 2005, aged 72.

Tpr GG Lissenburgh
Tpr GG Lissenburgh

He was born in Rangoon, Burma. The family moved to India in 1941 just prior to the occupation of Burma by the Japanese, and subsequently to England in November 1946, settling in Ferndown, Dorset.

At the age of 18, he enlisted as a National Serviceman at Catterick on 21 June 1951. After initial training with 66 Training Regiment, where he was a gunner/signaller RAC, he joined the Queen’s Bays in BAOR. On 9 November 1952, having been claimed by his brother Ken, he joined the 8th King’s Royal Irish Hussars at Wyvern Barracks, Lüneburg.

He left Lüneburg for discharge on 14 June 1953 and was discharged on 14 June 1953.

He was then posted to the 4th Battalion of the Dorset Regiment for the TA part of his National Service commitment until being released on 20 March 1954.

On leaving the Army he returned to Ferndown but, unable to settle, he decided to emigrate to Canada in 1955 where, after trying various jobs, he finally settled into a firm making kitchenware and rapidly rose to a managerial post. While there he married an English girl, and they had two daughters. In 1965 they decided to return to Britain.

Once again, following various employments in various locations, he settled in North Wales. There, while working nights at Vauxhall he managed to build a bungalow with stables and, together with his wife, ran a riding school and later bred Arab horses.

The latter part of his working life was spent continental lorry driving, travelling extensively throughout Europe; a job he thoroughly enjoyed. After retirement, although he continued travelling by taking leisure trips abroad, golf became his passion.

He joined the local golf club and spent most of his time on the golf course, continuing to play with great enthusiasm, in spite of illness, until shortly before his death.

He joined the Regimental Association in October 1998 and attended Troop events at Leicester and Eastbourne.

Related topics

  1. A short history of The 8th Hussars