Enduringly committed and hardworking, Louis Gibson was born in 1934 and devoted 28 years of his life to the Army. Not only was he a double world-record holder, but in 1977 Louis was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Jubilee Honours List, for services to Airborne Forces.
Following his passing in 2023, Louis’ family created a MuchLoved fundraising page to help raise money for the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) in his name. An incredible £1,157.63 was raised, in honour of a truly special man.
Here, Louis’ wife Phyllis and son Rob explain more about his incredible life and work, and how MuchLoved help them pay a lasting tribute to a cherished family member.
“Louis was Northern Irish and came across to England to join the Army when he was 15 years old,” explained Phyllis. “That was a challenging time in his life, but the Army helped him get through it. That’s part of the reason why the ABF was so important to him.”
“Dad was always so grateful for the fantastic life he had with the Army, even after he ‘left’ at age 43,” said Rob. “Though just a few years later he started working at Arborfield Garrison, in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) Depot. So really, he never left at all.”
“It was a mutually beneficial relationship; the Army gave a lot to my Dad, and in return he gave a lot back,” Rob continued. “He had great empathy with any soldier in distress and he never forgot that not everyone could continue living such a wonderful life as he did, once they left service.”
Serving with the Airborne Forces – and breaking two world records.
Louis served with the Airborne Forces in the 50s, 60s and 70s, for which he later received his MBE. He also broke two world records for non-stop long-distance walking.
“In 1967 Dr. Barbara Moore, who was a renowned endurance athlete, challenged the Airborne Forces to a non-stop long-distance walking contest,” Rob explained. “Dad was asked to help train the three-man team who’d been selected to compete in Aldershot, and on race-day he was only taking part as a pace-setter. But 80 miles into the journey the team all dropped out, leaving just Dr. Moore and Dad still walking.”
“Dad refused to let his beloved Airborne be beaten, so he carried on… outlasting Dr. Moore who dropped out at 120 miles,” said Rob. “But he still wasn’t satisfied, continuing on until he’d reached 160.8 miles and broken the current world record.”
Louis set out to break his own record the following year, at RAF Odiham; something he achieved admirably. “He’d trained for the event himself this time, and duly became the first man in history to walk 200 miles non-stop, in just over 50 hours!” confirmed Rob.
Louis’ incredible record will never be officially broken. Twenty-five years later, The Guinness Book of World Records changed its criteria to include essential timed breaks, in recognition of the potential dangers involved in walking such a long distance non-stop.
A much-loved family man
“Family was the most important thing to Dad, and he instilled his own values of honesty and integrity into us – as well as his love for the Army, which is a family in itself,” said Rob. He and his brother, Phillip, followed in their father’s footsteps, with his brother also serving in the REME for eight years.
Rob joined the Royal Army Pay Corps (RAPC) in 1985 and served with 3 Commando Brigade and 5 Airborne Brigade.
Louis’ family knew that when he passed away, he didn’t want funeral flowers but donations to the ABF. When they mentioned this to the funeral director, it was suggested that they set up a fundraising page via MuchLoved.
“I’d never heard of MuchLoved before, but we all thought it was a great idea,” said Rob. “It was really easy to set up and share the page with Dad’s family and friends. They not only made donations but left warm, heartfelt comments about what he meant to them.”
“It was a really nice feeling for us to read what everyone had to say about Dad, including those who couldn’t make it to his funeral. Their generous donations and kind comments confirmed how highly he was thought of. They also cemented what we already knew, that Dad was a great man.”
“Louis was 89 when he died,” said Phyllis. “In his last few months he told my son he’d had a wonderful life and he didn’t regret anything. I think that’s pretty good going.”
Donating in a loved one’s name is a special way to honour their life. MuchLoved is a simple-to-use Tribute website service that helps people create free, personalised memorials for their loved ones. For further information contact Emma Hamilton [email protected]