No. 123
The Trusty Servant
POWs weep. Demobbed as a Major. He was a don at Winchester 1949-53. During this time he was locked into the Cathedral whilst practising the organ: he put a matchstick under the loudest organ stop and was released by an anxious verger wondering what was causing the din! In 1954 he was appointed Director of Music, Melbourne Grammar School. He also commanded the Cadet Corps as a Lieutenant Colonel. In 1968 he conducted the MGS Orchestra and Choir in the first televised performance in Australia of Haydn’ s Nelson Mass. After 20 years he moved to become the first Coordinator of Instrumental Music in Queensland Schools. By the time that he retired there were over 45,000 children actively involved in music in 780 primary schools, with 380 instructors- a musical and administrative achievement of the highest order. He was an examiner for the Australian Music Examination Board in piano and organ. He had two piano pieces published in London whilst a teenager and went on to compose hymns, anthems and a Mass. He was the first to be awarded an honorary FMusA. And in 1995 he was awarded an OAM for services to Music and Music Education in Australia. Married 1945 Pearl Creed, who died after 57 years of marriage. He is survived by their two daughters.
Peter Michell Luttman-Johnson( C, 33-38): died 1.10.2016 aged 96 whilst on holiday in Spain. Son of FML-J( C, 06-11). 4 th generation of Wykehamists, father to son. Co Prae. Trinity College, Oxford, PPE War BA 1945. He was commissioned into 15 / 19 Hussars. After D-Day he joined 3 GHQ Regiment or the Phantom organisation, with whom he served in France, Belgium and Germany with the US Army. After the war he served with and finally commanded Princess Louise’ s Kensington Regiment, Royal Signals TA. After training with Durlachers, a stockjobbing firm, he joined Allen Harvey and Ross, a discount house, subsequently becoming a Director. He retired in 1963. In retirement, he continued with Lloyds; he owned a mine in the West Country and a farm in West Sussex. He was secretary to the local hunt pointto-point and Governor to three local schools. He was a District Councillor for Petworth and Chichester 1973-91, High Sheriff West Sussex 1978 and Master of the Clothworkers’ Company 1985. He was elected a member of the Garrick Club aged 23 and he died as the longest-serving member. He was a man who looked for the best in others and gave the best he had. Married( 1) 1961 Barbara Sclater-Booth( died 2000).( 2) 2003 Anna Minton-Beddoes who survives him with a son and two daughters of his first marriage and a stepdaughter.
Colin George Champion Rae( B, 34-39): died 11.10.2016 aged 95. Head of House, Silver Foil. He was appointed TJ to a new boy who failed the exam three times, for which he, Rae, was beaten each time. The new boy’ s father, as Home Secretary, Northern Ireland, had authorised the hanging of an IRA man. Rae was ordered by his Housemaster, the Jacker, to safeguard the boy and to be with him at all times – this he did in company with a policeman, but both got left behind when the boy went on a toll round Hills. He enlisted in the RA in 1939; commissioned in 1940 he joined 120 th Field Regiment in Northern Ireland. In 1943, he joined the Commando Forces and went with 3 rd Commando to Normandy, and then through Holland to Germany. In the last weeks of the war he was leading the Commando to capture the Essel Bridgehead, when 40 yards from the objective he came under fire, charged down the centre of the road and liquidated the enemy position. For his action he was awarded an immediate Military Cross. On pinning the award, Montgomery asked him:‘ Captain Rae, how is the Jacker?’- the Field Marshal’ s son David had been tutored by the Jacker. After serving in Austria, he was demobbed in 1946. He forsook his place at Cambridge and worked first as a stockbroker with Parr & Rae, Liverpool 1947-6, then as a banker with Edward Bates and Son 1962-77, for which he single-handedly enabled the family bank to go down with honour, every single debt repaid. He finally worked as an investment manager with Rathbones 1977-98. A man with enormous energy, he was best described as a family man – he did everything that he could for his wife and family. He is survived by Pamela, his wife of 63 years and their two sons and two daughters. Obituaries in The Times and The Daily Telegraph.
John Prichard Bassett( C, 35-40): died in Canada 15.9.2014 aged 93. Lords and Soccer XI. Pembroke College, Cambridge, 1 Mechanical Science 1941. Cambridge University Soccer XI 1940. Cambridge University Air Squadron 1941. Commissioned into the RAF 1942. He flew Spitfires and Mustangs in India and SEAC 1945-46. Mentioned in Despatches. He met his wife-to-be, who was a VAD in Bombay: he stole an aircraft and flew to Bombay and they were married that evening. In the circumstances his Commanding Officer looked the other way! After the war, he returned to Pembroke College, 2 History 1947 and 2 English Literature 1948. He first worked for Revetex Ltd 1948. He emigrated to Canada in 1956, where he first worked for Shawnigan Chemicals in Montreal. He had an ambition to make documentary films and aged 46 changed his career and formed Bassett Productions in 1965. In 1971, he joined Canada Broadcasting Corporation and collaborated with Dr David Suzuki, the world renowned environmentalist, to produce and direct The Nature of Things, which is still on air in Canada. He actively worked until he was 85 when he made a film about the historic Nisga’ a Treaty, the only modern treaty
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