Death Of Raymond Pearce Huggins MBE

23 May 2022

Grenadiers,

Sadly I write to notify you of the death on Friday 13th May at the Royal Hospital Chelsea of In-Pensioner Raymond Pearce Huggins MBE, aged 94. His funeral will take place on Tuesday 14th June at 2pm in the Wren Chapel at the Royal Hospital. I believe that all are welcome to attend.

Ray was unarguably the most outstanding Warrant Officer of his generation in the British Army. He held the appointment of Academy Sergeant Major from 1971 to 1980, before finally retiring. During this tenure over 4000 officer cadets came to know and respect him as an immensely likeable, unfailingly courteous and outstanding soldier, whose example they would try to live up to in their own careers.

He was born on 22nd March 1928, near Stockport in Cheshire and he joined the Regiment in October 1945, serving initially with the 1st Battalion in the Middle East. Later, after a busy career in both battalions and at Sandhurst, he became Sergeant Major of the 2nd Battalion in Wuppertal and Munster.

Yours Ever.

Major (Retired) JPW Gatehouse.