From: "John Feltham"

Date: Fri Jan 31, 2003 5:36 pm

Subject: Vale - Albert de Gruyther. RAF. DSO.

G'day folks,

This msg came in a a pvt msg to me the other day. I wrote to Tim asking if I could post it to the List. Here it is.

Just to remind you, an old boy of VS, Albert de Gruyther features on the VS Roll of Honour. winning a DSO with the Royal Air Force. He served on Sunderlands with Coastal Command.

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Dear John

I've been meaning to let you know that Dad died just before Christmas. I told you that when I had last seen him he was not up to much and there was no chance of getting any particular memories of Victoria School out of him. The next time I saw him was the day before he died, and he was completely out of things, just waiting to slip the mortal coil. I'm sorry that I couldn't garner some stories, but you see the situation.

We had a great memorial service with four tributes to different parts of his career as RAF pilot and brass hat, youth leader, parish priest, community leader etc. My son Ruaridh played the "Flowers of the Forest" on the pipes to see the old warrior to rest, and my brother in law and I played "A Man's a Man For a' That" on fiddle and accordion as guests queued to sign the book. Many were surprised when in my own tribute I announced that (thanks to my India List research), Dad was a fifth generation Anglo Indian, the descendant of Jan de Gruyter who arrived there in 1796 as a very young mercenary soldier from Flanders.

I told the full church that he had gone to Victoria School on the rooftop of the world in the high Himalayas, at a time when India was largely untouched by the social upheaval going on in Europe, and where notions such as courage, honour, loyalty and service were not only commonly taught but were also politically correct!

So, John, the school for which you hold so much affection was mentioned at the last.

Pip-pip for now

Tim

======================================================================= On a separate note, one of Dad's cousins was at Dow Hill in the early 30's, by name of Ronalie (nee) Whittaker. She is a widow living in Ipswich, and is out of touch with any contemporaries. She was born in 1924 I guess. I am no longer on your VSDH list, but might any of your squad recognise the name? Her father was in charge of the EIR brass foundry at Jamalpur. ======================================================================= Can anyone help with Tim's enquiry?

ooroo