Colonel William Whitson Etches, OBE, MC (15 May 1921 – 12 April 2015) was a senior British Army officer. After having attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and after being commissioned into the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in December 1939,[2] he served with the commandos during the Second World War, taking part in the raid on St Nazaire for which he won the Military Cross[3] and was taken as a prisoner of war.[4][5]
Bill Etches | |
|---|---|
 Bill Etches about to eat a Minden Rose, a tradition of the Lancashire Fusiliers. | |
| Born | 15 May 1921 Bisley, Surrey, England |
| Died | 12 April 2015 (aged 93) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1940–1971 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Service number | 112866 |
| Unit | Royal Warwickshire Regiment No. 3 Commando |
| Commands | 3rd Battalion, The Queen's Own Nigeria Regiment |
| Battles / wars | Second World War United Nations Operation in the Congo |
| Awards | Officer of the Order of the British Empire[1] Military Cross Mentioned in dispatches |
References
edit- ^ "No. 43203". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1963. p. 43.
- ^ "No. 34766". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 January 1940. p. 66.
- ^ "No. 37162". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 July 1945. p. 3493.
- ^ Colonel Bill Etches – obituary. The Telegraph, 11 May 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
- ^ "Colonel Bill Etches". The Times. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
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