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Tom’s promotion in the Royal Signals was fast and furious; he was promoted
to Lance Corporal in June 1940 (he was already organising concerts),
Technical Instructor in August, full Corporal in September and Sergeant in
October. During a short break on Christmas Day 1940 he married Miss
Doris Hosmer in Reigate where she had been evacuated from London. Then
back to duty. By September 1941 he was Acting Company Sergeant Major.
In this period he had been able to get out on the bike for a few miles but
a further interruption in early 1942 occurred when the army issued him with
a 500cc motorcycle to master. In February 1944 he was now Adjutant and
in December of that year was posted to India.

Tom sent a large number of interesting articles whilst he was away which
were published in the DLN describing the conditions, weather, food, living in
the jungle, etc. He had now reached the Field Officer rank. In June 1946
he had returned to Reigate and by 1948 was back in full swing working on
the club’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations for the following year.

Prior to being posted to India, Tom had played a direct role in the
meticulously planned deception which accompanied the D-Day landings in
Normandy (a great shame he was not with us to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of VE Day recently).

In 1946 Tom and Doris moved to Sidcup where his wartime experiences in
the Royal Corps of Signals led him to a peacetime career in maritime radar

and marine engineering, for which
he was awarded an OBE in 1984.
During this time he was also a key
figure in setting up the Sidcup
Symphony Orchestra and for
decades he played a central role
in the orchestra’s management in
addition to sitting in its first violin
section. He was also a highly
respected member of the local
community and made an

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