‘Snudge’ Lewis 

Sgt Doug Lewis (Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers) … with Pace Stick because he had passed the Guards Drill Course at Pirbright (the Guards Depot at that time)  and was therefore entitled to carry this.  He was Platoon Sgt for ‘A’ Pn during my time in Recruit Coy in 1963.  An amazing, tireless ‘character of many parts’. 

Known as ‘Snudge’ because he looked so like the ATV character of the same name in the “Army Game” series of the 1950s.  His recruits, the A/T NCO’s he trained on their Cadre … and just about everyone else I know who knew him, thought the world of him.  He and his wife were also members of the Salvation Army … the latter often serving we A/Ts in the ‘Sally Ann’ café (adjoining the Post Office) opposite Uniacke Guardroom! 

Amazing too because although he was a strict disciplinarian he also seemed to have the proverbial ‘heart of gold’ and known by many of his trainees as ‘Daddy’ Lewis.  Yet, when he served in Cyprus during the EOKA ‘troubles’ …. he had the unique distinction of not only being the official hangman for the British Army (specifically for the convicted terrorists only, of course!) there but was actually responsible for the ‘despatch’ of the brother of Archbishop Makarios. 

When ‘Higgs and Hill’ were wrecking (sorry, rebuilding) the barracks in 1966 … ‘Snudge’ had retired from the British Army and was working as a labourer on the scaffolding around the square.  One Wednesday morning he mischievously called out a (drill) Word of Command during the RSM’s (well, really the Adjutant's) Parade --- and the whole parade acted upon it!  Not surprisingly, the RSM went wild…..!!!!!