Have You a Tiger In Your Family?

Rank : Major

Army Number : 66809

Unit : Royal 1st Bn

Biography :

Educated St Edward's School Birmingham, Bob Docker was commissioned into 8th Bn The Royal Warwickshire Regiment (TA) in 1936. He went to France with it in 1939, became Adjutant , and was awarded a Mention in Despatches (L.G. 20.12.1940) for his work in the BEF in France in 1940. On return from France he remained with 8th R Warwick and by 1942 was Bn 2IC. He was posted to the Far East and attended the Staff College at Quetta, and then saw further action in Burma. At the end of the war he was DAA&QMG of a Brigade HQ of the 82nd West African Division. He was granted a Regular Commission in The Warwickshire Regiment as a Lt on 28.2.1945, and promoted Captain on 1.7.1946. On return to the UK he served at Depot R Warwick and then as a TSO2 at the War Office. He was awarded the T.D. on 3.10.1947 and the 1st Clasp on 21.9.1951. He later served in 1st Bn The Royal Leicestershire Regiment in Korea and was awarded the M.C. as a OC D Company for 'his gallantry and leadership between the 5th and 19th November 1951' - the Battle of Maryang-San (L.G. 28.12.1951 [see below]), in which he was wounded on 5.11.1951 in the attack on Point 217 and, after convalescence, again on 'Crete' on 19.11.1951. He was promoted Major on 25.8.1952 and was GSO2 in Trieste. He was then the R Warwick regimental representative at RMA Sandhurst, before returning to 1st R Warwick as Bn 2IC in Ballykinlar and Aden. In 1959 he was promoted Acting Lt Col and appointed AA&QMG at RMA Sandhurst. He was promoted Lt Col (Employed List) on 17.7.1962, and went to Kenya and for his work there he was awarded the O.B.E. (L.G. 1.1.1965) as a Lt Col in The Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers as AQMG, HQ East Africa Command, Kenya, Dec 1962-Aug 1964. He was then posted to BAOR. He retired from the Army on 6.9.1967, and passed the open exam for the Higher Civil Service, becoming an Assistant Principal in the Ministry of Transport. He was a Principal in the Guildford Office of that department when he died in 1980, aged 72 years. His medals are in the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Museum (Royal Warwickshire).

Citation for the MC (L.G. 28.12.1951): "On 5th November 1951 Major Docker's company was ordered to attack a 600ft high feature, and this involved an approach of about 1000 yards under concentrated shell and mortar fire. It was largely due to his fearlessness and leadership that the attack succeeded. During the attack he was wounded but made no mention of it until the action was over. it was then found that this wound was serious and he had to be evacuated. On 19th November he was back in the battalion. His company was in an exposed position; they were heavily attacked and practically over-run, but by coolness and leadership he held his company together."

This page was last edited on 21.9.2019.

Date of Birth : 19.12.1917

Date of Death : 20.1.1980

Place of Death : Surrey

Civil Occupation : Civil Servant, Ministry of Transport

Period of Service : 1939-67

Conflicts : WW2, Korea War

Places Served : England, France, India, Burma, Hong Kong, Korea, Trieste, Northern Ireland, Aden, Kenya, Germany