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IN MEMORIAM
Derek Breeze. AAS Arborfield Intake 53B
Date of Death: 16th July 2016.
The
following notification was received by e-mail from Roger Traves
(57A) A.O.B.A. Bereavement Secretary. ‘Very
bad news again as I have to sadly announce the death of 2 ex Arborfield
apprentices, one of them from my own 57 intake. 1.
Derek Breeze 53B; AOBA 2668; DOD 16 July 2016. Derek's
widow Alma has agreed that Derek's death can be recorded on our website and
in OBAN. Alma has requested no scroll but would like a letter inviting her to
the next drumhead service. Derek has a brick on the memorial floor. For
Trevor Stubberfield 52A: A friend of Derek Breeze,
Eric Rainford has asked me to make sure you have
been made aware of Derek's death’. Roger AOBA
Bereavement Secretary
Derek
remembered by ‘The Editor’. Our
paths first crossed at Arborfield, perhaps unknowingly, in September 1953
when Derek joined H.Q. Company with intake 53B. It
was to be many years later when Derek made contact once again. He offered to contribute some of his
memories and photographs to the ‘Arborfield & The September 49ers’ web
site. It
was a very varied collection and covered life at Arborfield as an Apprentice,
through his service with R.E.M.E. and on into retirement. One section is devoted to his time at the
‘Maralinga Atomic Weapons Test Range’ in Australia which brings a lot of
visitors to our site. It includes
several photos of his Arborfield 53B contemporaries, Tom Spurs and Harold
Leppitt who were also there. He
also provided photos of the dedication service of the Army Apprentice
National Memorial at Alrewas, Staffordshire, which he attended. We
shared e-mails with news over time until, on the 17th of June 2016, in the
final communication from Derek, he revealed that he was nearing the end of
his life, suffering from a terminal illness.
He had touched on it before but nevertheless it still came as a shock. Even
at that late stage he was concerned that the passing of his friends, Tom and
Harold had gone unrecorded and he wanted to set that right. Their names were read out in the Roll of
Honour and Crosses of Remembrance were laid for them at the Drum Head Service
at the 2016 A.O.B.A. Reunion. It took
place on Saturday the 16th of July, the day that Derek died. Three comrades would be reunited. Along
with his contributions of memories, Derek was also one of a small band of
private sponsors whose financial backing keeps this site available on the
internet for anybody interested in the story of our Arborfield. Derek
is now safely back at H.Q. his final posting, and our thoughts are with Alma
and their family during these dark times for them. God Bless. Trevor
(52A) and Mavis.
To view Derek’s memories, please Click in the Centre of
the Wreath.
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