Today’s speaker was Richard Styan on “The Story of My Life”. Technical issues delayed the start of Richard’s talk.
Richard was born in 1924 in Pimlico, London within the sound of Bow Bells making him a Cockney. He was a poorly child, in and out of hospital and at one point was not expected to live. He certainly proved them wrong.
He remembers his father taking him and his brother to watch the Guards marching out of Chelsea Barracks to perform the changing of the Guards.
He took part in school plays, one of which involved him being a soldier – presaging his time in the army. Richard and his brother were Boy Scouts.
Richard joined the army in a signals regiment. He was surprised to be promoted to Lance Corporal on his third day. His regiment converted to being an anti-tank regiment and at one time he was the only Cockney in a Scottish regiment. Richard served in Normandy and clearly remembers seeing two of his fellow soldiers being killed when the mortar round they were loading exploded within the mortar barrel.
He did something no-one does in the army, he volunteered, to serve abroad and was on his way to Japan via India when the nuclear weapons were exploded over the two cities. He then diverted to Burma.
At a later stage, he transferred to the West African Reconnaissance Regiment.
At that point, Richard’s talk had to end because he had run out of time due to the delayed start. Perhaps there is a part two to come.