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IN MEMORIAM
Frank BASS 1937 to 2010 AAS Arborfield Intake 52A
Announcement posted on the A.O.B.A .Forum. Frankie
Bass 52A R.I.P. by
Trevor 52A » Thu Apr 22, 2010 3:41 pm It
is with a feeling of great personal sadness that we send news of the passing
of our very good friend Frankie Bass 52A. His
wife Elizabeth called to let us know that Frank died at 02.30 HRS this
morning, Thursday 22nd of April 2010. It
was in February 1952 that we first met in HQ Company, Room F6, and yet it
seemed just like yesterday when we got together once again in 2001. From
there we met at the AOBA Reunions and though Frank was undergoing radical
treatment for his cancer over the last few years, never was he short of a
smile or a quip. There is no doubt that his passing will leave a big gap in
the lives of the many people who were privileged to know him. Our
thoughts are with Elizabeth and their family at this very sad time. As
his God has taken our friend Frank into his care, may he also throw a cloak
of comfort around those who knew and loved him, and those of us who were
proud to call him Friend. Trevor
(52A) and Mavis Added
Information: Service
for Frank is on Wednesday 28th April at 13.45hrs, West Road Crematorium,
Fenham,
The
Service The
service for Frank was conducted in a chapel, full of family and the many friends that Frank had
made during both his military and civilian careers. Present from the
Arborfield days were Bill Gibson (52A) who had brought Gwen, widow of John
Todd (52A), Mavis and Trevor Stubberfield (52A) and Margaret and Bill
Greenall (52B) The padre spoke of
Frank’s early days at the
Messages
posted on the A.O.B.A. Forum by tonywilson56b » Thu Apr 22, 2010 6:34 pm Deepest sympathy to Frank's family. Our thoughts
are with them. ____________________________________________________________________ by
Tich Schofield » Fri Apr 23, 2010 2:28 pm RIP
Frank - you will be missed ............................. ____________________________________________________________________ by
cliff charlesworth » Fri Apr 23, 2010 3:21 pm Sympathy
to the family may Frank RIP. Cliff
Charlesworth 47B ____________________________________________________________________ Message by Email ted tblowers 22 April 2010 16:37 Re: Frankie Bass 52A RIP So sad to hear the news though not as close as you
that served with him, I remember him well from my trips to the billet to
visit my mate Tin Ohn. Another warrior departs, from a life well lived.
Please pass our condolences on to his wife and family. Ted and Daughne. _____________________________________________________________________________ John
Williams 22
April 2010 18:11 Re:
Frankie Bass 52A RIP So
very sad to hear the news of Frank's passing. A big man with a big heart, it
was always a pleasure to meet up with him and Elizabeth at the reunions. My
condolences to his family, and may he be at peace. ____________________________________________________________________________ Alan Gordon 22 April 2010 19:04 Frankie Bass. Shocked & dismayed at this
very sad news. I shared the same billet with
Frank all thru` our Arborfield days. I’m not quite sure about our
HQ days but, most definitely from there on in "A" Coy. Brings back many
memories. ------ Frank seemed a Rough
Diamond at first but he had a Huge Heart of Gold, never in the dumps &
always with a ready laugh & joke. May god Bless Him. 23
April 2010 20:38 Your
news really knocked me for six yesterday. Frank
was one of the most colourful guys, full of character that I’ve ever met. He
was upright, he stood tall & took his stand where ever blows might come.
He had his opinions, stood by them & never stood on the sideline no
matter what the outcome might be. He had a fine sense of humour & never
seemed to be depressed, no matter what the problem was, he’d just shrug his
shoulders, take it on the chin & say well lets get on & get it done. I
personally only knew Frank for our three AAS years & then I met him once
thereafter for a half hour at our 50 year anniversary & then I thought to
my self - Good on you Frank you`re still the same old Frank that I used to
know. - the sharp corners rounded off by the friction with time perhaps but,
still the same old Frank. I
never really knew that Frank was so ill, I knew that his health was bad but
that bad, NO, so that the news came as quite a shock. All
I can say is - God bless you Frank, I’m very pleased to have known you &
that the world is now a poorer place now that you have gone AWOL & taken
the High Road & we’re still on the
Low Road. Please
give my/our condolences & sympathies to Elizabeth & the family at
this very sad time. Sincere
thanks, Alan.. ___________________________________________________________________ Jenny McGuire 22 April 2010 20:55 Re: Frankie Bass 52A RIP I am very saddened to hear the death of my very old esteemed friend Frankie Bass and a tough opponent in
the ring. I last saw Frank
during my artificers course in Borden back in 1964 . I last spoke to Frank when he phoned me in
Our sympathy to Frank's wife Elizabeth and
family. Will miss you mate Jim and
Jenny McGuire ___________________________________________________________________________ R Barwick 22 April 2010 21:20 Frankie Bass I have just opened my mail and have been so
shocked at the news of Frankie's passing. He
has been such a close friend of mine since 1952 even though we fought
each other in the ring three times. Elizabeth and Frank made Wiltrud and I so welcome
when we visited them at their home
While we were with Frank& Elizabeth, we headed for We were also invited to his daughters' wedding in I thought the world of this man and will miss him
terribly. Rest in peace Frank and thanks for including me in
your life. We are thinking of you Elizabeth. Wiltrud
& Bob _____________________________________________________________________________ Margaret
& Joe Plant 23
April 2010 02:33 Frank Frank We lived together We played together We fought together Got into trouble got out of trouble Laughed so many times. I haven't corresponded as I should. But I unashamedly shed a tear for you today And will always
be proud to call You Mate. Joe Plant __________________________________________________________ Gerald and Margaret Peck 23 April 2010 04:46 RE: Frankie Bass 52A RIP I came to know Frankie Bass by way of the AAS
Boxing team in 1953/4. He was a big tough lad who always gave as good as he
got in the ring. I have looked at a photo in which he and I stand up as part
of the team and his face is as familiar now as it was then. I too knew that
Frank was having a battle against cancer but Frank was never one to bemoan
his lot and as he did in the ring as a Brat, he fought his own fight in his
own way. We have lost another of our ilk to that pernicious disease and we
are all the poorer for the loss of Frank from amongst our number. As with so
many others that have left us, we need to celebrate the fact that Frankie
Bass was a proud Arborfielder throughout his life, being grateful as we do
so, that we shared a background with a man of Frank's calibre. RIP Frank, you were a standout example to those
that followed you and will always be missed. Our sincere condolences to Elizabeth and the
family, God Bless. Greg and Maggie Peck. __________________________________________________________________ ALAN MORTON 23 April 2010 09:22 Re: Frankie Bass 52A RIP I join in with everyone to say how sad it is to
lose a good friend in Frankie. He was always a great laugh at Reunions, even
last year when he knew his time was coming to an end. I remember sitting
outside the Sgts Mess on Saturday lunchtime with my 51B mates, scoffing the
BBQ, and he came over with his wife Elizabeth and made some crack like "If
the Devil could cast his net now, what a catch he'd get with you
lot!!". Then on another earlier
reunion, I went back to the billet we were in after the dinner night and
Frankie was laid out on the floor, eyes well closed and arms folded across
his chest, as peacefully pie-eyed as you can get---and I swear he had a grin
on his face!! What a character who is sorely missed. Many thanks Trevor for keeping us so well informed
and give our love and best wishes to Elizabeth and Family. God Bless, Frankie, and rest in peace. Alan alias Algy. ____________________________________________________________________________ David Pickworth 23 April 2010 23:47 Re: Frankie Bass 52A RIP Thank you so much for your letter concerning the
passing away of Frankie. A true legend of 52A and a sad, sad loss to us all.
He was the most genuine man you could possibly meet and with a heart of gold.
He called in to see me with With kind regards Maija and David
_______________________________________________________. A tribute to Frank The preceding messages show the depth of respect and appreciation that Frank
engendered in his friends from the very early days right through to his
passing. February 1952, Arborfield Army Apprentices School,
H.Q. Company, ‘D’ Squad ‘The Tinies’ under Sgt. Keech, Room F6, was where we
first met. Frank was a scrap of a lad
with a stand up mop of sandy hair with an irrepressible sense of humour which
got him out of as much trouble as it got him into. Life wasn’t a picnic but
he stood up to everything that was thrown at him, never considering taking a
backward step. We started our training as Fitters and there were a few times
when we both ended up before the civilian boss of the workshop for a rocket
for misbehaviour. I blamed Frank of course. I changed trades but in the time
we worked together it was obvious that Frank would put everything into
mastering the skills of Fitting. This determination was present in so many
stages of his life, he would never do things by half. Those who met him in
the boxing ring would bear testimony to that. February 1955, training completed we went separate
ways and it would be 2001 before we met again. Four from Room F6, John Todd,
Bill Gibson, myself and Frank. The
small lad was now three times taller and three times wider. A big man indeed.
The sense of humour certainly hadn’t changed and with At the service for Frank we heard the usual
platitudes that ‘He was now in a better place’, but the main feeling was that
he had gone there much too early. Frank had a lot of things left to do, new
places to go, old and new friends to meet. We can only take comfort from the
fact that Frank lived his life to the full. He leaves a massive gap in the
lives of all those who were lucky enough to meet him. Trevor 52A
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