Have You a Tiger In Your Family?

Rank : WO2

Army Number : 2276046

Unit : Royal 1st Bn, Royal Depot, Royal 4/5th Bn, 4th R Anglian

Biography :

John Morris enlisted in The Royal Warwickshire Regiment in April 1949, and after recruit training at Budbrooke Barracks was posted to 1st Battalion The Royal Leicestershire Regiment in Hong Kong, with whom he went to Korea in October 1951. As a 20-year old Cpl in D Coy, he took part in the big battle on 5 November 1951, for which he was awarded the M.M. The citation for his award (L.G. 29.4.1952) stated that 'he led his section in an advance of 1,500 yards under continuous heavy and accurate shell and mortar fire...on reaching within twenty yards from the objective on top of Hill 217 the assaulting platoons were held up by accurate small arms and grenade fire from a strongly-entrenched enemy. Quickly weighing up the situation and realising the difficulties of the ground, he ordered his section to stop and himself dashed forward to throw in grenades. In his lone attack he was wounded but his inspiration and action successfully paved the way for the survivors of his section to scramble up after him to the objective.'
Transferring to The Royal Leicestershire Regiment, he subsequently served in 1st Bn in Germany, and was a Corporal Instructor at the Regimental Depot at Glen Parva Barracks from 1953-54. He left the Army for three years, rejoining 1st Bn in Cyprus in 1957, and serving continuously with it in Plymouth, Muenster, Watchet, and Hong Kong and Borneo (1963-64). While in C Coy in Hong Kong and 12 years after his award-winning feat, he was selected as 2IC of the 7-man British element of the 8th US Army Honour Guard at HQ UN Forces in Seoul, performing ceremonial and guard duties (see Pages 90-91 of 'Marching with The Tigers'). There as Platoon Sergeant of the United Nations Platoon (Ethiopian, Thai and Turkish, and British sections), he was charged with ceremonial duties conducted for incoming and departing dignitaries and with parading daily at for the firing of the 1800 hours gun at the Yongsan compound. On completion of the 3-month tour, the 'letter of appreciation' from the US authorities commented on 'his personal interest, enthusiasm and devotion to duty resulting in the attainment of a superior level of performance by members of his [multi-national] platoon.'
After 6 months in Borneo, he served in the renamed 4th R Anglian in Watchet and Aden, before becoming PSI of the Hinckley Company of 4/5th R Leicesters TA from 1965-67. Rejoining 4th R Anglian in Gillingham, he participated in its final posting to Bahrain as CSM of C Company, after which, after 22 years' service and in the rank of WO2, he left the Army in 1971. In civilian life he was a security guard at Leicester University for 12 years, and indulged in his interests of history, classical music, poetry and astronomy, successfully completing an astronavigation course. He died in Leicester on 10 March 2015, aged 83 years.

Date of Birth : 17.19.1931

Place of Birth : Brighton

Date of Death : 10.3.2015

Place of Death : Leicester

Civil Occupation : security guard

Period of Service : 1949-71

Conflicts : Korea War, Cyprus Emergency, Borneo, Aden

Places Served : Hong Kong, Korea, Germany, Cyprus, Borneo, Aden, Bahrain