Lieutenant-Colonel John A Rymer-Jones

John Allard Rymer-Jones enlisted in the The Buffs (The Royal East Kent Regiment) on 3 April 1951 and attended RMA Sandhurst in September 1951 and was commissioned in February 1953.

2 Lt Rymer-Jones served with 1 Battalion, The Buffs in Kenya on active service Mau Mau campaign, 1953-1954, before returning to Dover in December 1954.

Lt Rymer-Jones was seconded to The Parachute Regiment in Spring 1955 and served in 3 PARA. With attachment to HQ 16 Indep Para Bde Gp in January 1956 in Cyprus in support of King Hussein of Jordan, but held in Cyprus and employed on operations against EOKA. Employed as Brigade Intelligence Officer in preparation for operations in Egypt.

Captain Rymer-Jones returned to UK briefly in August 1956 for Para continuation training before embarking on 3 November 1956 with Bde HQ to Famagusta with 2 PARA. Early 4 November Bde Tac HQ, of 20 men were recalled to Nicosia to prepare for airborne assault with 3 PARA on 5 November.  He returned to Cyprus by sea a week later.

In 1957 Capt Rymer-Jones served as GSO3 (Liaison) at Bde HQ until March 1958 when he became Adjutant 17 PARA (9 DLI) TA.

Posted to 2 PARA in March 1960 in Cyprus, Capt Rymer-Jones drove to PAU for attachment to French Army Parachute School en route to Genoa for voyage to Limassol, Cyprus.

Between 1961-63, Captain Rymer–Jones worked for MoD and the War Office.

Major Rymer-Jones joined 3 PARA 1964-65 as Support Company Commander in Aldershot and Bahrain, before going to Radfan.

In 1965 Major Rymer –Jones attended Staff College in Australia.

He went to HQ Far East Land Forces as GSO2 in Singapore in 1966.

Returning to The Parachute Regiment with 1 PARA as A Company Commander in 1968 followed by Battalion 2i/c. Going on exercises in France and Canada. Major Rymer –Jones parachuted from a Dakota at the Canadian Parachute Regiment base at Edmonton, Alberta. In October 1969 1 PARA went to Northern Ireland to hold the line between the Shankill Road (Protestant) and the Falls Road (Roman Catholic).

Maj Rymer-Jones served at HQ Northern Army Group as GSO2 Operations at Rheindahlen 1970-72.

In 1973 Lt Col Rymer-Jones became Commanding Officer of 4 PARA V (TA) until going to AA and QMG HQ Berlin Infantry Brigade in 1976.

Lt Col Rymer-Jones retired in 1978.

Lt Col (Retd) John Allard Rymer-Jones passed away on Friday 22 May 2015.