Book of Remembrance

Gavin Anderson was born in 1928 and educated at Wellington College and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he was a Senior Under Officer and reputed to be the smartest cadet of Intake One, a reputation he maintained throughout his career. He was selected to carry the King’s Colour when His Majesty King George VI presented Colours to the RMAS in 1947. The next year he joined the 3rd Battalion and spent six years divided between the 2nd and 3rd Battalions and the Guards Depot which included an overseas tour in Malaya as well as time in BAOR. The next seven years were spent in the 2nd Battalion and included tours in Egypt and Cyprus as well as more time in BAOR. By now he was married with a daughter Sarah, born in 1954 and had become a Company Commander with a reputation for having a deep sense of loyalty to his guardsmen. Sadly his first marriage ended in divorce in 1961 and Gavin made a complete career change. He became a Ground Liaison Officer and spent five years with the Royal Naval Air Service, based at Yeovilton and operating from two carriers. Here he met and married Chris, a serving WREN, who became the rock upon which the rest of his life was based. They had a son Hamish born in 1967 and Gavin was immensely proud of both his children and four step-grandchildren. From 1966-83 he served with 38 Group Royal Air Force, based at Wilton in Wiltshire. Gavin was very popular both with the Navy and the Air Force. In 1983 Gavin retired to Thetford in Norfolk, where he divided his time between gardening and running a syndicate for the Military shoot. He also became a stalwart member of the Norfolk Branch of the Association. He hardly missed a meeting or an event and greatly appreciated the dinner given by the Colonel at Sandringham last Spring. A year ago Gavin had a serious of heart attacks and received a triple bypass. On 22nd November he returned to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, where he died on the same day as the result of another heart attack. Gavin will be remembered with real fondness by many people who knew him and were impressed by his devotion to duty, his gentle courtesy and charm, sense of humour and of course immaculate appearance. Our thoughts and sympathy are with Chris and the family at this very sad moment in their lives.