The Late Dennis Fitzpatrick

[Ken Hannah]

Dear All,

It is with regret that I have to inform you of the passing of one of 'our' Corps characters. Col Dennis sadly passed away last Saturday. His funeral will be held at The Priory Church of the Annunciation, St Mary's Hill, Inchbrook Gloucester, GL5 5HP on 21 April at 11 am. He will be buried next to his good lady wife in Wells. I have no further details.

Col Dennis was a great 'gas man' with a fascination for all things mechanical particularly clocks....he had to be 'warned off' many times about trying to get the Water Clock in the CMH Mess working again - if he could he would have had it working by steam power! He was a gas man of the old school, I dread to think what he would have got up to with these modern anaesthetic machines.....so many bits!

I served with him many times over the years - in Salalah in 1971 (51 FST). He thought it would be a good Hearts and Minds job to lay a water pipe at the local hospital, Dave Armour, Andy Jeppson and myself were duly volunteered for the task..."Where are the tools Sir" we asked - "We don't have any" was the reply - so we dug the trench with our hands - thankfully it was just a 15 mm pipe across sand. At Rinteln in 86 he refused to carry out his First Aid ATD training saying that 'Doctors don't do first aid'...true or not? ...the RSM was confused and let him off...not sure it worked with doctors don't run though!

If there are any clocks where he is now..........

RIP SIR

........................
Regards
Ken