Donald Laurence Dryhurst, was born in Chelmsford. He was one of 7 children in the family: 2 older brothers, whose military discipline and achievements during the second world war he always greatly admired and 4 sisters. His older sisters recall that he was always an adventurous and a “charmer” and he wrapped them around his little finger!

While growing up, Donald often visited his maternal Grandparent’s house in a village on the outskirts of town. He had fond memories of playing in the orchard and fields there, feeding the animals and playing with his cousins. He also recalled playing on the Baddow Mead in Chelmsford, where he said he probably encountered his future wife for the first time, who also used to play there.

Donald went to a local Secondary School where he began his technical education. At the age of 13 he joined the local Cadet Regiment whilst still at school. He completed initial technical training during this time and was accepted onto an apprenticeship programme with a large local company on leaving school. At 17 years old, he put his age up to 18 and joined the army, where he achieved his first electrical qualification. He met his future wife (“Bobbie”) while on leave, having returned from a year on tour in Egypt. Donald stayed full-time in the army for a further year, joining the army reserve after returning to work to complete his 4-year electrical apprenticeship. 

Dad proposed to his then girlfriend, having saved for a ring from his apprenticeship wages and they married a year later. His new wife “Bobbie” did not want a full-time life in the army, so reluctantly he left the regular army and joined the T.A. when he was married. He remained a loyal and active member until he retired as a commissioned officer in the late 1980s. He never regretted his decision to leave the regular army for his wife’s sake. As he has often said, Bobbie was the “best thing that ever happened to him”.

Don and Bobbie wanted a place of their own as a young married couple, so started their married life living in a caravan on a farm owned by a long-term friend and locally renowned generous landowner that they knew and whose horses Bobbie exercised. With their first child on the way, they found a cottage in the village where Donald’s maternal Grandparents lived. They bought this cottage from a lady who owned several properties and who took a shine to them, so offered a private mortgage to the young couple.

Donald’s early career in the army and as an apprentice electrician was very rewarding. He scored high marks and achieved outstanding reports. His success in his career and the Territorial Army continued and throughout his life, it was his achievements in the army of which he was most proud. One commanding officer described him as a “tough, robust officer with a clear understanding of military matters; an able, efficient, reliable and cheerful watchkeeper who was a pleasure to work with”. Another said of him of his performance in the “Crested Eagle” exercise in 1980 (when the British Army was enlisted to train the French army) that Donald was “ a capable, tactful and sensible officer who fitted into the Division more quickly and effectively than the majority of watchkeepers”. All of Donald’s TA reports demonstrate his dedication and his excellent skill in communicating with others. They all allude to his charismatic and engaging personality. This has been echoed by the many lovely messages that his family have received from friends and former colleagues since his death.

It is these aspects of his personality that helped him to forge a successful career in sales, being welcomed by prospective buyers all over the world for the various companies that he worked for throughout his primary career. He realized his identity though through his army life, declaring on official documentation a few years ago that his former occupation was a (retired) officer in the armed forces and his current occupation as a “Battlefield Guide”.

He and Bobbie retired to Gloucestershire, an area that they had most enjoyed living in previously in one of their many moves around the country during their careers. They befriended the Awre community and supported Awre church, including helping with cleaning and maintenance of the church until Bobbie became too sick to continue.

Donald worked into his early 80s (when he was no longer able to easily walk) as a battlefield guide. His extensive knowledge of the events of WW1 astounded his frineds and family. Many family members and friends had the pleasure of accompanying him on his battlefield tours in Northern France during this part of his later career.

While Donald could not fulfil his ambition to travel extensively with the army, he did so through his work, spending many years working in the Middle East as an Export Sales Director while his family grew up. His children remember with fondness and pride, the stories that he brought home and the unusual gifts from far off lands. His dedication extended to his commitment to learn conversational Arabic. At a hospital appointment recently, he surprised an Arabic speaking doctor with greetings and light-hearted conversation in her birth language!

Donald instilled his daughters with the same sense of adventure as he and, even though they were not the boys that he might have hoped for, he taught them to grow up to be tough, resilient and adventurous. Thanks to the “can do” approach that he encouraged them to have, they were not afraid to jump out of aeroplanes, ride motorbikes and travel!

In later life, our adventurous widowed Father reluctantly accepted his ailing physical health but was fulfilled by the pleasure of enjoying the company of family, including several Great Grandchildren by this time. He always said he was proud of them all and they know he loved them dearly.

They and others will remember him for his charisma, his dapper dress sense, his laugh, his love of life and his commitment to hard work until he could work no longer.

Donald said before his death that looking back on life, he wouldn’t have changed a thing, although he would have been happier to have done more for “the world, my country and of course my family.