Field Marshal The Lord Bramall

It is with deep regret that I write to inform you all of the death of Honorary Freeman, Field Marshal Edwin Noel Westby Bramall, Baron Bramall, KG, GCB, OBE, MC, JP, DL, who passed away on the 12th November 2019, aged 95.

The Lord Bramall was one of the long serving Honorary Freemen of the Company, having been made an Honorary member of the Guild of Firefighters in 1990, and due to pressure of work, finally became an Honorary Freeman of the Company at the ninth meeting of the Court in February 2003.

A former head of the British army who also served in Normandy during WWII.

Field Marshal Edwin Noel Westby Bramall worked his way up the ranks after joining the army in May 1943.

He rose to positions including Commander-in-Chief of British forces in Hong Kong, Commander-in-Chief of UK Land Forces and Chief of Defence Staff.

Lord Bramall married Dorothy in 1949, a woman he had two children with.

They lived at Bulford Manor in Wiltshire during his time as head of the army.

The career armed forces man was born on 18 December 1923 in Tonbridge, Kent to Major Edmund Haselden Bramall and his wife Katherine Westby.

The couple sent him off to Berkshire to be educated at Eton College.

On March 1, 1945 he received the Military Cross for his service in WWI, having taking part in the Normandy landings in June 1944.

He was promoted to lieutenant in 1946 before heading to Japan where he served in the occupation.

Over the next forty years he worked his way up through the armed forces: from lieutenant to captain, major, lieutenant colonel, brigadier, lieutenant general and then Commander-in-Chief of the UK Land Forces.

The D-Day veteran retired from the House of Lords in 2013 but retained his peerage.

The highly-decorated veteran passed away at his home in Crondall, Surrey.