Thank you Pat.. Well done !!
Pat Soward, who celebrated his 90th birthday shortly after our last reunion, announced in our Spring Newsletter that he would not be standing for re-election as our Chairman.. I should say that Pat was recently awarded the RSA's two most prestigious awards, an Honour Award and 75 Year Award, for his services to the Corps over a 75 year period. A short history as I’m not sure some of our members are aware of what Pat had done for the Corps and our Association.
Pat joined the Boy's Training Squadron at Catterick in 1948 at the age of 15. On entering man's service he trained at a Radio Mechanic; trained on the radio sets widely used by the field army.In short, during his 42½ years career in uniform, he served in Fixed Signal Service units or on training or staff appointments.
To summarise he served worldwide including three posts on long haul communications in the Canal Zone, Gold Coast and Singapore, two with Air Formation Signals on Christmas Island and Singapore, three in training units, 8 Signal Regiment, Catterick, Far East Signal Training Centre (Singapore) and the School of Signals. Tours as a staff officer in MOD (Army), 3 Signal Group (Cyprus) and HQ DGEME (Andover) plus tours with ACE High in the UK (Shetland).
He retired in September 1990 but very quickly he was invited to take the post of Project Manager to extend the Corps Museum. The brief: 'raise the balance of £1 Million, place the contracts and have the building ready for our Colonel in Chief to open on our 75th Anniversary, June 1995'. No pressure! He had a magnificent 'workforce' with General James Hellier as Chairman of the Fund raising Committee, the museum Director, Curator and staff and a charming PA. To cut a long story short the project was completed on time, (almost) on budget and, for his efforts, he was awarded the Master of Signals Award.
During his time as Project Manager he contacted serving units and RSA branches and with this 'high visibility' was invited to join the Air Formation Signals Association (AFSA), 254 (Catterick) Old Boys Association and 19th Signal Regiment Association. He held active committee post in all these associations and was distressed when the AFSA formally disbanded in 2022.
In November 1957 he had a motorcycle accident and ended in The North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary with a broken bone in his foot. Here he met Nurse Maureen Gibson who he pestered for three years until she married him in September 1960.
Thank you Pat for all you have done for the Corps and for our association.
