Nigel French

 

Nigel French was posted in to the battery as the BK in the late 80's and I had no idea who the man was, but his reputation preceded him. There were many in the battery who remembered him as the BSM.

It struck me that Nigel was a Redneck through and through and he forgot sometimes, I think, that he was no longer the BSM. He was a disciplinarian and was quite happy to get his hands dirty by bollocking someone, in is rough west country accent, publicly rather than getting a senior NCO to do it for him.

That said, he was the main driving force behind the Battery Bar when the BAOR ban was lifted. We had the best bar on camp. Brick built, German wood furniture, dart board, jukebox, the works. It was great, the perfect place to relax. The only bad decision was his sign above the door that said, "If anybody can, Arracan can!".

He instigated the theme nights in the bar like the "Simply Red" night, where everyone had to wear red, and they were highly popular with everyone including the wives and families. He brought in a real family feeling within the battery at the time and it also made a fair bit for Battery Funds.

He was a very proud man and I think it's safe to say that he didn't want to leave.

He died while running in Armagh while serving as a QM in 45 Regt.

Once a Redneck, always a Redneck!

Taff Fitzgerald

Surname	FRENCH
Forenames/Initials	Nigel Harold Edwin
Rank	Capt
Service	Army
Service Number	524143
Regiment/Corps	RA
Place of Birth/Home Town	Taunton
Date of Birth	31 January 1949
Age	43
Date of Death	12 March 1992
Included on Armed Forces Memorial	Yes
Included on Roll of Honour	Yes