Dad / Mike served in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Corps of the Army in the late 1960s and 1970s, where he provided engineering support to maintain and repair a vast array of equipment, including for the Royal Tank Regiment, aviation and amphibious divisions. He also served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. Dad rarely spoke about his deployment but those close to him knew it had a lasting impact on his life, health and his view of the world.

Most people knew Dad as a big kid - always the first to arrive and the last to leave a party, and ready to laugh at others' (or often his own!) jokes. Beyond this, Dad was a talented artist and a published poet. He was the youngest in his cohort to qualify as a Technical Author - a career that neatly combined his love of writing and military engineering. Dad was a keen music fan and remained proud of his Liverpudlian background (with its inextricable link to the Cavern Club) throughout his life. He had always harboured a love for fashion and prided himself on being well-groomed and impeccably dressed at all times. We know Dad would be thrilled to know he’d been described for his funeral memories as ‘looking like he’d stepped out of a catalogue’. He loved family and being a Dad / Grandad although, by his own admission, he struggled with the day-to-day of civilian life at times.

Through this memorial, our family hope to help other veterans access practical and emotional support that was unfortunately not available when Dad left service, and which may have made the world of difference to him. We wholeheartedly support Help for Heroes’ aim of helping veterans regain their purpose, reach their potential and have a positive impact on society, and know Dad did too.

Many thanks for reading,

Abi, Claire and Heather xxxxx