Page 48 - The Old Ratcliffian 2011

The Old Ratcliffan 2011 | Obituaries admiration to me and all who knew he was indomitable and a standing He died, quite worn out, on 2nd May him and a formidable bridge player, reproach to one who bewails his lot. I 2011, and the huge turnout at his to the extent of taking sea cruises to once suggested that God had treated funeral bore witness to his great gift practise that black art, and his acerbic him less than gently. He replied with for friendship and universal popularity. sense of humour never flagged. He quiet confidence: “He knows what I was proud as well as happy to be both supported and received support, He’s doing” – and once told me, in the blessed with such a brother. spiritual and practical, from the nearest he ever came to a grumble: Michael Keogh (46) Catenian Association and the Royal “I sometimes get tired of being an British Legion and, only last year, inspiration to people”, which he most visited us in Norfolk for a week: truly, certainly was. Michael Anthony Radford Old Ratcliffian 1936-41 18th March 1924-30th August 2011 visit to the Cistercian Abbey of Mount of Sandhurst. Thus, driven by his faith, St Bernard, where he heard the monks Alvis vintage motor cars and tanks, in singing offices. Singing in a choir and that order, he rode forth to conquer! the collective joy of it was something that stayed with him always, and he Michael served King and country in the sang bass for many years in his local 3rd Carbiniers in World War II on the north west frontier in India between church choir of John The Baptist, Brighton, where he practised from 1944 and 1947. During this time, he was also involved in ferocious jungle 1977. In his letters home he also wrote of the grounds of these hallowed warfare in The Burma Campaign. This school halls and how, with the help entire Far Eastern adventure, during the last days of the British Raj, culminated of the fathers, they enjoyed building forts, charging other boys, attacking in him riding his tank gloriously through Lutyen’s famous India Gate each other and taking prisoners. My father, Michael Anthony, who died Michael was very influenced, too, by his in New Delhi in the Victory Parade of on 30th August in his 88th year was father, who had served in the trenches March 1946 under the watchful eye of the third child of Jack (1907) and throughout the First World War. It was Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India. Dorothy Radford whose ties with inevitable, then, that a military career Then, as a young man, he became Ratcliffe College were long and deep was soon to beckon. Before this, impressed by the poverty he witnessed and dated from beyond the turn of however, he followed his forbears to in India, which later led to his interest the nineteenth century. Dorothy’s Ratcliffe College (1936-1941) during in Mother Teresa and her labours in brothers, Will, Godfrey and Austin the headship of Fr Cuthbert Emery the slums of Calcutta. Subsequently, (Baxter) were educated at the College to continue his Catholic education. he became a co-worker of her great and her marriage to John (Jack) He was deemed a bright and gifted mission for over forty years. At a more Radford assured that Ratcliffe became pupil and was thus exempted from local level, he also worked tirelessly as the family seat of learning in the Matriculation. Treasurer for the charity, St Anne’s Day Radford-Baxter clan (or the male Trust, helping towards the plight of our members anyway) for a generation or After Ratcliffe, Michael joined the BBC own homeless in Brighton. He strongly more. Michael’s brothers, John and for a while in Salisbury, as a clerk to believed that Divine Providence would David, were also educated at Ratcliffe the Engineer in Charge for whom he provide ‘Pennies From Heaven’ – his along with nephews Tim and Peter typed, a skill not widely practised by unswerving belief was invariably Hutton and John Simmons. His father, men in those days. This experience was rewarded, as the cheques rolled in! Major Jack Radford (MC and Croix de to hold him in good stead later for his Guerre), is famously known for forming own literary endeavours, both in writing In 1950, he reported for duty with the first Cadet Force at the College and of The Alvis 1250 (a technical treatise the 8th Hussars for The Korean War was the contingent’s first Commanding for renovating vintage motor cars) and to command a tank troop in Siberian Officer from 1953 to 1956. also The Way of Light (2006), (his well- conditions. There he was ‘Mentioned known technical manual for guiding in Dispatches’ for his own gallantry in Michael shared an idyllic childhood souls and people in strife, through the bitterly cold but decisive Battle of with elder sister, Mary, brother, John, prayer and contemplation). The Imjin River. Further tours of duty and his younger brother, David, in in Malaysia, Sarawak and Germany Salisbury and was later sent to Grace In 1940, his elder brother, John, was followed in the 1960s. Dieu Manor. Writing to his mother from killed in action in France aged twenty. there in 1934 (aged ten), he described My father volunteered for the Royal After his army career, Michael settled how great it was to see other boys Armoured Corps, seduced, as he said in Kent and latterly in Brighton; he making their first Holy Communion himself, by the idea of riding into battle provided a beautiful home, cultivated and The Feast of the Purification, the behind armour plate in tanks. Due to a rose garden, became a teacher blessing of candles with the procession his technical aptitude, he then received of woodwork and metalwork and of light, the Mass, and afterwards his officer training at the Military Academy concentrated on his young family. 48