Michael spent 31 years in the Army, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before going on to work as Chief Accountant of a military charity until his retirement. Michael is now living with dementia, and has moved to Royal Star & Garter, which provides care for veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia. Our grant of £80,000 towards the charity’s Wellbeing Programme enables daily activities, physiotherapy-led exercises, and meaningful social opportunities that promote independence and fulfilment.
Michael grew up in Liverpool and was studying to be a lawyer when his father became ill. In 1951, he made a life-changing decision to join the regular Army, rather than sign up for National Service, as the pay was better.
Michael had learned basic accountancy as part of his legal training, and was commissioned into the Royal Army Pay Corps as a 2nd Lieutenant. It was the start of a military career lasting 31 years, which saw him serve around the world, and attain the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
In 1959, Michael was nominated to become Paymaster to Operation Grapple on Christmas Island. This was the code name for the British hydrogen bomb tests that had taken place on the island. In memoirs written to mark his 90th birthday, he remembered the tests’ horrific consequences, recalling: “I was never present at a nuclear explosion…but I have stood where they had been exploded. The ground was ash, blackened and in many places had turned into something like glass and clinker, like the interior of an old burnt-out coke stove.” In 2024, he received the Nuclear Test Medal.
In 1960, Michael was stationed in Northern Ireland as a Paymaster and later he served in Germany. He was in Berlin in 1961 when the construction of the Berlin Wall was first announced. Posts in England followed, before Michael was sent to Singapore. Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, he continued to move regularly, with postings at the Ministry of Defence, and HQ London District, as Commander Army Pay Services to the Household Division.
Michael left the Army aged 52, in 1982. He went on to work as Chief Accountant of the military charity, The Officers’ Association, until retirement.
Michael is now living with dementia and has in 2022 moved to the Royal Star & Garter’s High Wycombe Home. Royal Star & Garter provides a range of quality care and therapies for veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia in its three homes. It provides over a third of the dementia care beds offered to ex-Service people in England. Our grant of £80,000 towards the charity’s Wellbeing Programme supports its programme of activities, physiotherapy-led exercises, and social opportunities to promote each person’s independence and fulfilment.
Michael enjoys taking part in activities and especially going on outings with the charity. His daughter, Sarah, said: “I know that he is happy at Royal Star & Garter – he says to me that he’s in a good place and that’s very reassuring for me.”