No . 124
The Trusty Servant
Obituary
We are proud that we write obituaries for all Old Wykehamists and it would be invaluable to us if OWs were to send us some notes about their life , covering a little bit more than appears in the Winchester College Register . These should be addressed to : The Obituarist , Winchester College Society , 73 Kingsgate Street , Winchester SO23 9PE .
Raymond George Humphrey ( Co Ro , 53-78 ): died 22.4.2017 , aged 100 . Educated at Reigate Grammar School . During this time , taught by relatives , he learned to play the piano . He took the post of organist in his parish church aged 13 . FRCO 1937 , LRAM 1938 . He first worked for Barclays Bank 1935-39 and then on radar systems in London during the war , remembering the East End burning after a night of bombing , which he had spent in an underpass at Clapham Junction . Later he was deployed to North Africa . On demobilisation he became organist at St Michael and All Angels , Brighton during which time he taught at Ardingly College . He came to Winchester in 1953 to become Director of Chapel Music . During this time , he played concerts and recitals and was appointed Senior Examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music . He examined all around the world including South Africa and Mauritius . He became a deputy organist at the Cathedral and was chairman , Winchester County Music Festival . On retirement he became organist at Holy Trinity Parish Church , a role for which he refused to be paid . In 1979 he returned as an honorary member of Common Room , continuing to teach music until 1995 . He retired from Holy Trinity in 2008 age 92 . He loved to travel and his daughter believed that they had seen every organ loft in Paris . He spoke with dignity at the celebration of his 100 th birthday . Married 1950 Joan Greenfield , who died in 2001 after 50 years of marriage . He is survived by their son and daughter .
George Neville Clive Wigram ( H , 28-34 ): died 23.5.2017 aged 101 as our Sen Man . Son of CW ( H , 86-91 ), brother of FCW ( H , 33-38 ) and father of AFCW ( H , 62-67 ). 3 rd generation of Wykehamists , father to son . He was born in Windsor Castle and was the godson of King George V , to whom he was a Page of Honour . Duncan Maths Prize 1930 . Magdalen College , Oxford , 3 History BA 1938 where he was President of the Bullingdon Club . Aged 19 he played for North of Scotland against the 1934 Australian Test XI captained by Don Bradman . Commissioned Grenadier Guards 1937 . He served with the BEF and was evacuated by Ben-My-Chree , an Isle of Man ferry . In 1945 , he was involved in a battle against a fanatical enemy to liberate the Dutch town of Aaltern , for which he was awarded an immediate MC . He was one of the first to enter Stalag XB POW Camp where the conditions were as bad as at Belsen . In 1946 he became Comptroller and Military Secretary to the Governor General of New Zealand , Lord Freyburg , In 1952 as Regimental Adjutant , Grenadier Guards , he took part in the lying-instate for the King . He commanded 1 st Bn Grenadier Guards 1955 but suffered a serious vehicle accident , necessitating him to be invalided out of the Army 1957 . He then embarked on farming and was soon winning many a prize at both Cirencester Market and the Royal Smithfield Show with his flock of Clun Forests . He was involved in the Royal Bath and West Show , of which he was President . Magistrate on the Fairford Bench , General Commissioner of Income Tax for Cirencester and Governorship of Westminster Hospital 1967-74 . He was Deputy Lieutenant of Gloucestershire 1969-82 . He made his TV debut on
2 nd April this year , aged 101 , during a Channel 4 documentary , Spying on the Royals , about the abdication of Edward VIII . He was humbled to be licensed by the Bishop of Gloucester to offer the chalice of wine at Holy Communion and always kept by his side the Prayer Book given to him at his confirmation at Winchester and which later saved his life on the beaches of Dunkirk . He succeeded as 2 nd Baron Wigram in 1960 . Married 1941 Margaret ( Poppy ) Thorne , who died in 1986 . He is survived by their son and two daughters . Obituary in The Times .
Thomas ( Tom ) Arthur Bird ( E , 32-36 ): died 9.8.2017 , aged 98 , our Sen Man for two months . Brother of EAB ( E , 29-34 ) and father of AEAB ( A , 60-64 ) and NAB ( A , 62-65 ). Co Prae , Lords 1936 . He played for the MCC and Berkshire . He designed the set for E House production of Macbeth 1934 – also acted as 2 nd Witch . In demand as a portraitist – he drew many of the dons including the Jacker and the Bobber . Associated School of Architecture 1936 . He was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade 1939 , with whom he served in Palestine , North Africa , Syria and North West Europe . He was awarded the Military Cross twice , at Tobruk 1941 and at Gebel Kalakh July 1942 and the DSO for the action at the Snipe October 1942 . He was ADC to three Field Marshals : Wavell 1943 , Auchinleck 1943 and Wilson 1945 . He was wounded four times and was demobbed as a Major in 1945 . He was a member of the War Memorial Committee 1946 . He returned to the Associated School of Architecture 1946 , Diploma of Architecture 1948 and ARIBA 1949 . He joined the leading modern practice in London of Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew 1947-55 , then in partnership with Richard Tyler to form Bird & Tyler Associates 1955-85 . He designed , restored and remodelled many
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