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Colonel Bill Todd
WILLIAM Arthur Edmundson Todd, known as Bill, was born in Hull, the only son of Doris and Edmund, a headmaster and Methodist lay preacher.
He went to Hymer's College in Hull, where he excelled at both study and sports, especially rugby. He was a member of the Officer Training Corps, and was formally introduced to Margaret, his future wife, at a sports day when he was 15, although they knew each other by sight already, since they lived across the road from one another.
Bill's first job after leaving school was with the Midland Bank on Silver Street in Hull, but two years later, now 19, he was called up. He was selected for officer training, and sent to Barmouth in North Wales, after which he was commissioned into the East Yorkshire Regiment.
He was then seconded to the Sixth Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, and served in the Italian Campaign (1942-1945), where, as Lieutenant Todd, he was twice Mentioned in Dispatches for Gallantry, and also awarded the American Bronze Star for Courage and Leadership.
Wounded in action, he was evacuated to a hospital ship, returning to active service when he was fit. He was preparing for active service in the Far East when Japan abruptly surrendered.
Margaret and Bill were married in November 1945, and on Boxing Day of that year, Bill returned to the First Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment, and saw service in Austria, Egypt and Palestine, having risen to the rank of Temporary Major. He was then demobilised and returned to the Midland Bank on Silver Street, where he worked for two years, during which time the couple's daughter Elizabeth was born.
Bill, however, missed the service life, and applied to rejoin the Army as a regular officer, and started at the rank of Lieutenant. After several months he joined his Battalion (East Yorkshire Regiment) in Berlin in 1952, and, after a short tour of duty, the Battalion moved to York. Then in 1953 it was moved by troopship to Singapore, where he saw action fighting communist insurgents and was promoted to Captain. In 1954 he served as Intelligence Officer to the Gurkha Infantry Brigade in Malaya.
At the end of 1954, he returned to the UK as Adjutant to the Commanding Officer of the Territorial Army Battalion, where he served for two years. He was then posted back to the First Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment in Osnabruck in Germany. In 1958, he was selected to attend Staff College, Camberley, Surrey and after successful graduation, was sent to Worcester as Training Major to the Territorial Army Battalion.
In 1960, he rejoined his Battalion (now the First Battalion Prince of Wales Own Regiment –1PWO) in Gibraltar. After a six-month stay, he moved to Wuppertal in Germany with the
Regiment as Commanding Officer. Eighteen months later,
he moved to a staff post in Chester. A move to Berlin followed, where he was responsible for ensuring the safe return of 1PWO to Colchester, where he was appointed Second in Command.
In 1965, and still Second in Command, he spent an unaccompanied year's tour in Aden. In May 1967, he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, and appointed Commanding Officer of the Battalion. In 1967, he was posted a second time to Aden for around four-and-a-half months, during which time he was Mentioned in Dispatches for Distinguished Conduct.
In 1969, as 1PWO Commanding Officer, he was sent to Northern Ireland. On his return four months later, he took up a post of Staff Officer at Catterick Barracks.
In the 1970 New Year's Honours List, he was awarded the OBE. He was promoted to full Colonel prior to a posting as Military and Defence Attache to the British Ambassador, Sir John Pilcher, in Tokyo in 1971. He returned in 1973 to take up a post at Strensall Barracks, near York.
In 1976, following an eight-month stay in a military hospital, he was invalided out of the Army and retired with his wife Margaret to Warthill near York, where he took up carpentry, served as a guide at Castle Howard, and became fully involved in village life, serving as a school governor and treasurer to the village church of St Mary's.
Bill Todd, who has died aged 84, was a man of great determination, a leader who inspired loyalty in his officers and men.
He is survived by Margaret and their daughter, Elizabeth and three grandchildren.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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