Page 10 - Flaming Cauldron – Issue 54

ACC ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

The Last Post

1947, the year he got married. It turns out Bruno
‘manipulated’ his age when he was 14 in order to
take up an offer of an apprenticeship in the Midland
Hotel, Birmingham! He then completed his hotel
and catering training at the Palace Hotel San
Moritz and at the Dolder Grand Hotel in Zurich.
In 1937 he returned to Torquay where he became
assistant to the managing director of the Imperial
Hotel. Two years later, in 1939, he became the man-
ager of the Vernon Court Hotel and remained in
that post until war broke out soon after.
It was always thought he changed his year of
birth to join the army, but it appears he did so in
order to take up an apprenticeship. However, once
it was on all his documents, it was inevitable that
this information had to be carried forward into his
Army service. He joined the Devonshire Regiment
as a soldier in 1939 but within two years, owing
to his practical knowledge of catering and hotels,
together with his experience in all areas of the
hospitality industry, he was commissioned in 1941
into the Army Catering Corps just one day after
it was formed. Bruno saw service in many coun-
tries including India, Iraq, Africa, Italy, France and
Germany where he remained for a while after the
war ended, and where he met his wife Marguerite
Major Stanley Bernard (Bruno) Burford – Major Bruno Burford who was from Belgium. He held a wide variety of
proudly showing off his
‘Father of the Army Catering Corps’
100th Birthday Card from
5th May 1917 – 28th August 2019
the Queen
Bruno Burford retired from the ACC in 1972, just one
year after I joined as an Apprentice, so I can’t claim to
have known him personally very well. Although, hav-
ing been commissioned a few years later, I do remember
Bruno attending annual Officers’ Club reunion din-
ners and Corps Sundays over time. Only a few months
ago I received a communication from his son James
informing me that, at the grand age of 102, Bruno was
having difficulty reading copies of the ACC and RLC
Association magazines so perhaps I should now stop
sending them! Bruno’s 100th birthday was featured
in a previous edition of the ACC Association maga-
zine. My thanks go to James Burford for providing
so many recollections of Bruno’s long life. Editor
As a father to Maureen, who unexpectedly
passed away earlier this year, and James, Bruno was
always kind and very loving; never raised his voice
in anger, indeed someone once said ‘interacting with
you is always a delight, you even knew how to be cross
Major Bruno Burford’s
beautifully’, and was a firm but fair disciplinarian.
Administrative Card
Where possible his kindness, love and patience also
extended to his grandchildren who were fortunate to
spend many hours under his tutelage.
According to his birth certificate, Bruno was
born in 1917 but, on his baptism certificate it says
‘born in 1914’. However, he was actually baptised in

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