Page 15 - Flaming Cauldron – Issue 55

ACC ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

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Cyprus, attended the Long Course with firstly as a house manager, then as a chef a week’s holiday at the Butlins’ Holiday
J. Lyons & Co in London, Adjutant and finally as a stagecoach bus driver. Camp in Clacton. Great innocent fun,
of the Army School of Catering and Alan had been resident at the Royal where Wally’s competitive nature lead
Catering Adviser in Singapore and Hospital Chelsea since 2014. him to enter Junior Muscle Man and
Yorkshire. In his final employment he singing competitions with renditions
continued his love of cooking, shar- by, amongst others, Tommy Steele and
ing his skills with catering students at Lonnie Donegan.
Radbrook College, Shrewsbury. Food Wally was a lifelong football fan
and family ran through his blood and he with his loyalty concentrated on Fulham
liked nothing more than having friends Football Club. He probably had one
and family gathered around him sharing of the best autograph collections a
a meal. Dad spent his last 6 months in a boy could hope for including, not only
nursing home. He was thrilled however Fulham players, but many of the coun-
when, in November last year, the home’s try’s top stars of the time. He continued
deputy manager, who runs a local Army Editor: The funeral service held in honour of Alan to be an armchair fan and when they
Cadet Force contingency, arranged for Thubron at the Royal Hospital Chelsea was attended by were promoted to the Premier League,
him to be the Officer at the front of the a number of In-Pensioners including our own Graham Wally and his wife Rowena attended
Smith (far right in Scarlets nearest the road) and Eddie
parade. I have enclosed a couple of pho- Fulham’s first Premier League match
Holroyd (third from the left in blues). The Hospital plan
tos from this event as well as one when where they watched the game from seats
to hold a memorial service in the Chapel at the end of
he was first commissioned. As a family lockdown to commemorate the lives of all In-Pensioners in the George Cohen Box. He enjoyed
we are immensely proud of our Dad and who have passed away during this period. the honour of being joined at the post-
despite much adversity in his final years, match dinner by one of his football
remained an Officer and a Gentleman, Colonel Wally Torrington heroes, no less than George Cohen
still gaining strength from the fact that 23rd September 1946 – himself, who played for England in the
he’d been a member of his beloved Army 27th December 2019 1966 World Cup.
Catering Corps. It was with great sadness that we At school, it became apparent that
Best wishes, Louise Taylor-Kennett learned of the passing of Colonel Wally Wally was not a natural academic,
Torrington just after Christmas 2019. but he made up for this with sheer
He was born into a post war family with dogged determination. However, in the
his Dad (Wally senior) serving in the sports arena he flourished at just about
Welsh Guards and Mum, having been everything, achieving school and county
de-mobbed from the wartime ATS, try- caps in a number of disciplines. Perhaps
ing to make ends meet. Wally decided not surprisingly, these personal attrib-
at a young age that he would ‘do his bit’ utes led him to join the Army and he
to help by earning pocket money. One enlisted as an apprentice in the Army
of his many early, entrepreneurial activ- Catering Corps. His departure from the
ities was to charge stall holders in the
local market to deliver mugs of tea and
sandwiches from the nearby street café.
He would also collect unwanted garage
free gifts and sell them on, including
periscopes for the Queen‘s coronation
In Pensioner, late Sgt Alan Thubron for example! During his teens Wally
30th December 1938-16th April 2020 worked evenings and weekends for one
Alan enlisted at Catterick on 8 July 1958 of their local greengrocers.
and joined the Army Catering Corps. Wally and his brother Paul would
He went on to serve for 22 years with spend many school holidays in South
his service equally split between post- Wales with the Welsh ‘chapter’ of the
ings within the UK and overseas with Torrington family where their father was
tours of Singapore, Aden, Northern born. These visits were like something
Ireland, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Kenya, Belize from Enid Blyton’s Famous Five, start-
and Germany. He was discharged on ing with a long steam train journey from
24 August 1980 having been promoted Paddington, no traffic, no smog and no
to the rank of Sergeant. Following his school! These breaks were interrupted on
Army service, he settled down in Sussex two occasions when they were treated to
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