Derek V Boddington, Roberts House (1942-1947), painstakingly documented the history of our great institution and has most graciously granted permission to the Old Sanawarian Society to reproduce his brilliantly researched body of work.

Derek Vernon Boddington, born in Ootacamund (BMH Wellington), Tamil Nadu, India on 6th December 1932, first of four sons to Thomas Boddington and Dorothy May Ingram. Primary Schooling: various Army Junior and Prep schools, Bangalore, Quetta, Peshawar, Nowshera and Karachi. Secondary Schools: Lawrence School Ghora Gali 1940-1941. The Lawrence Royal Military School, Sanawar 1942-1947. Left India with family on repatriation to UK, (TSS 'Empire Ken', ex Karachi, Pakistan), October 1949. Enlisted UK regular Army (Royal Signals) March 1950. Married 1952, (wife Beryl Green, born Port Talbot, Monmouthshire, Wales). Saw service in Malta, Malaya, Borneo, West Germany, Berlin, Belgium and UK. Commissioned 1971; Signal Officer staff appointments: Northern Army Group (NATO), Berlin (Allied Staff), Belgium (SHAPE) and MOD (UK). Retired from the UK Army in 1985 and joined the Government Communications Branch of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (FCO). Retired from Civil Service (FCO) 1996. Widowed 1999. Children: three daughters, five grandchildren and, (to date) one great grandson. Currently living and bumbling along in Blandford Forum, Dorset, England.

Hobbies and Interests: Photography, Natural History, Family History, Gardening, Web Design and management of this and two other websites.

Comments about this site are most welcome. Please leave a message in my Guestbook, or email me.
Thanks for visiting!

Derek Boddington.
Blandford, Dorset, UK.