Gillespie-Hill - Anthony Brotherhood, Major (Retd) Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light infantry (43rd) died peacefully at home on 12th January 2011. Very dear husband of Cynthia and much loved by his daughter Cathy Cottrell and his three granddaughters.

Funeral: Friday 21 Jan 11 at 1230 at Bournemouth Crematorium, Strouden Avenue, Charminster, Bournemouth.

Further details from: Mrs Cathy Cottrell (daughter)- Tel 01202- 551364.

Anthony Brotherhood Gillespie-Hill, died on 12 January 2011. G as he became known throughout his service, enlisted in 1939, one day before his 19^th birthday, and within a few days of the declaration of war on 3^rd September. He had been educated at Clifton College and was commissioned from Sandhurst at the end of December 1939. He joined 1 Oxf Bucks, the 43^rd, in France where, as part of the British Expeditionary Force, they were about to be engulfed and driven back by the German blitzkrieg advance through Belgium and France. Of the Battalions fighting strength of 691 all ranks only 437 made it back to England. G was one of the 12 officer survivors and he was evacuated with remnants of the battalion through Dunkirk. Those who knew him well in later years testify to the fact that he never mentioned or discussed the retreat to Dunkirk.

At the end of 1940 he was transferred to 2 Oxf Bucks, the 52^nd, by then already earmarked for their airborne role as a glider borne battalion. Throughout his regimental life G gave more junior officers much amusement by his extreme allegiance to the 43^rd and his antipathy towards the 52^nd. He was never heard to admit to his short period of service with the 52^nd.

In early 1944 he was transferred again, this time to the 7^th Parachute Battalion, the Light Infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment, and he was wounded serving with them in Normandy. After the war he spent some time in occupied Germany and then, in 1948, he went to West Africa to serve, as a Captain, in the 1^st Battalion Nigeria Regiment. He returned to his beloved 43rd in early 1949, joining the battalion in Greece.

In BAOR during the 1950s he commanded C Company of 1 Oxf Bucks and although his fellow officers enjoyed serving with him, they were aware of his eccentric behaviour which meant that life was full of surprises as well as fun.

He went with the battalion to Cyprus in 1956, still in command of C Company, and took part in anti-terrorist operations during the operational tour of duty in Limassol, hunting General Grivas and his EOKA fighters.

After his retirement he took up teaching and, sadly for his many friends, did not keep up his contacts with the Regiment.

Robert Pascoe