YORKSHIRE AND HUMBERSIDE - Irene Shiels

Committee Member Pen Pictures

Irene Shiels

Irene Shiels OBE (nee Bloor) – Chairman Yorkshire and Humber War Pensions Committee
Retired school teacher. Experience in consumer representation as Chairman East Midlands Electricity Consumers’ Committee and currently as a member of Postwatch Midlands.
Past Chairman of the War Widows Association and currently Regional Organiser for Derbyshire. Division Secretary Derbyshire SSAFA. Member Central Advisory Committee for War Pensions.

Mrs Helen Owen (awaiting pen picture)

Lt Col Brian Armitage MBE
Lt Col B Armitage MBE served in the Royal Artillery 1957-2002 in all ranks from 'Boy' soldier to Lt Col. He served throughout the world both at regimental duty and in various staff positions, mainly with Commando/Airborne units. He maintains his contact with the armed forces as a Trustee of the West Riding Artillery Trust, a SSAFA Forces Help Caseworker and a member of the War Pensions Committee.

Major Duncan Bell
Major Duncan Bell is a retired officer based in Catterick Garrison and responsible for the resettlement of service personnel in the north of England. He has been directly involved with resettlement for 20 years. During this time he has had hands on experience in dealing with cases where personnel have suffered attributable service injuries/illnesses. Some leave as medical discharges other at normal leaving times all need guidance towards their future employment and this is the service offered at Catterick. Being part of the Veterans Agency via the Yorkshire and Humber Committee provides him with relevant on claiming War pensions etc to pass onto those leaving the Forces.

Major General (Retired) Christopher Callow
(Major General C G Callow CB OBE FFPH) I served for 33 years in the Regular Army starting my career as Regimental Medical Officer to the Green Howards. I served in UK, Germany and NATO and latterly was responsible for the medical training of the Armed Forces and then provision of hospital care to the three services. I hope to put my knowledge of the Ministry of Defence, the defence medical services and my long service experience to the benefit of War Pensioners. I can be contacted through the Veterans Agency.

Lieutenant Colonel Peter Darroch
Lieutenant Colonel Peter Darroch enlisted in the RAMC as a 15 year old Apprentice in 1952. He retired from the Regular Army in April 1991; but was immediately re-employed as an Army Careers Officer Grade 1 until 1997. From July 1997 until April 2002 he worked as a Regional Welfare Officer for the Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society (Combat Stress). Peter Darroch is Chairman of the Greater Manchester Committee of the Army Benevolent Fund, a Trustee and Secretary of Broughton House Home for Ex-Service Personnel in Salford. He is a Council Member of the Order of St John in Greater Manchester and was President of the Tameside (1 st UK) Branch of the 8 th Army Veterans Association from 1993 until 2002.

Squadron Leader Colin Gower AE RAF (retired)
Colin Gower flew as a navigator in RAF Fighter Command during the nineteen fifties. As a civilian he worked as a photo journalist for national newspapers and joined the RAFVR. His duties included serving as a press officer for the MOD during the first Gulf War and later in the former Yugoslavia. Served as a staff officer with the Air Training Corps and as an Honorary Welfare Officer with the Royal Air Forces Association. Member of the Executive Committee of the Yorkshire Region RAFA. Voluntary work for Kirklees Youth Offending Team. He joined the War Pensions Committee in 1999.

Mr David B Miller
I have been a member of the War Pensions/Veterans Agency also a Welfare Support Visitor since 1996. During my time in the British Army I saw service in Egypt (Canal Zone) Aden and Cyprus. I joined The Royal British Legion in 1975 and have held various positions as Treasurer, Secretary, Chairman, President, Poppy Appeal Organiser and Welfare Visitor. I have served as the Training Officer for South and West Yorkshire County RBL since 1992 and currently represent the County at National Conferences.

Robert Mortimer
Member of the Yorkshire and Humberside War Pensions Committee. Chairman of the South and West Yorkshire County Royal British Legion. Welfare Support Visitor War Pensioners. Executive member of the Yorkshire Federation of Sport.

Patrick Reger
Patrick Reger was born in Malaya in 1935. He was educated in the UK and served as a regular soldier from 1953 until retirement in the rank of colonel, in 1985. He has had a second career as a charity fundraiser, firstly with a hospice but after that with SSAFA and, until 1999 as the Head of the Poppy Appeal. After 1999 he has been involved with SSAFA Forces Help as a volunteer and is currently the North East Regional Representative.

Mrs N Sykes
I have been a War Widow since 1981 and have always been interested in matters concerning all aspects of the War Pensions. I am a member of the War Widow's Association. When I found myself with some time on my hands I decided to join the Royal British Legion and five years ago I joined SSAFA Forces Help as a voluntary caseworker. I go out to visit people in their homes to see where we as a charity can help them. I enjoy doing casework and I help out at Fundraising events. I also help out at the Branch Office in Leconfield one morning a week. I am also a member of the Alfred Bean Hospital League of Friends in Driffield where I also help at Fundraising events.

Richard Arthur Williamson
Born in 9.1.32 and educated King Edward VI Grammar School and East Retford and Sheffield University. Admitted as a solicitor 1956. Married Christina Elizabeth (nee Sarton) in 1957 and has two sons. He has held various appointments in Legal Government 1958-76. Principal Prosecuting Solicitor Greater Manchester 1976-83. Chief Prosecuting Solicitor Lincolnshire 1983-85. Assistant Head of Field Management 1985-87 and Regional Director Crown Prosecution Service 1987-1991 and retired in 1991. National Service 1956-58 in Royal Navy (promoted Sub Lieutenant 1957).

Brigadier (Retired ) N F Wood MA
Brigadier Nigel Wood was commissioned into the Royal Corps of Signals in December 1963 and went on to complete his education at Trinity College, Cambridge where he read Mechanical Sciences, graduating in 1967.

During his Army career he saw service the Middle East, West Africa and the Far East, as well as commanding a large Signal Regiment in Germany in the mid 1980s. He served as an instructor at the Nigerian Staff College and was also a military director of studies for electronics and guided weapons at the Royal Military College of Science, Shrivenham.

He completed his military service as Signal Officer in Chief for the Army, the professional head of the Royal Corps of Signals, with responsibilities for telecommunications systems and personnel throughout the Army. He retired in 1998 and took up the appointment of Chief Executive of the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Yorkshire and the Humber early in 1999.

He is Honorary Colonel 34 (Northern) Signal Regiment, a Trustee of the Yorkshire Cadet Trust and a member of the Yorkshire and Humber War Pensions Committee.

He is married with three grown up children. He lists as his interests travel, hill walking, gardening and light operatic singing.

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