Colonel J W Sewell

Commanding Officer - The East Surrey Regiment

1965-1966
(1967-1968 1st Bn. The Queen's Regiment)

Commanded 1^st Bn The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment from November 1965 to December 1966 and after the Battalion became 1^st Bn The Queen's Regiment on the 1^st January 1967 continued in command until the 31^st March 1968.

John Walter (Toby) Sewell was born on 13^th January 1923 and was educated at Marlborouqh College. He enlisted in The Grenadier Guards on 28^th August 1941 and after attending No. 161 (RMC) OCTU was commissioned in The Queen's Royal Regiment on 5^th November 1942. He was posted to the 70^th Battalion/ 17 PTC and in April 1943 to the 13^th Battalion. In July 1943 he joined l/6^th Bn The East Surrey Regiment in North Africa. From October 1943 to June 1945 he served with 2/7^th Bn The Queen's Royal Regiment in Italy where he was wounded. He was twice Mentioned in Despatches. In June 1945 he joined 1^st Bn The Royal Fusiliers for service in the Far East and then in January 1946 the 2^nd Bn The Queen's Royal Regiment with whom he served in India and BAOR as adjutant and company commander until November 1947 when he was seconded to The Parachute Regiment: He served with 8/9 Para in Palestine and 1 Para in BAOR, and in 1952 was appointed GSO 3 16^th Airborne Division TA. In 1954 he attended the Staff College, Camberley and from 1956 to 1956 was DAQMG 1^st Division in the Middle East and subsequently GSO 2 (Ops) Cyprus District. From 1957 to 1958 he served with 1^st Bn The Queen's Royal Regiment before becoming GSO 2 Land/Air Warfare at the War Office from 1958 to 1961. In 1962 and 1963 he was with the 1^st Battalion in Aden and Hong Kong where he was 2 i/c. From 1964 to 1965 he was Brigade Major 19^th Infantry Brigade Group in the UK and Borneo. He commanded 1^st Bn The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment, 1^st Bn The Queen's Regiment in BAOR and Bahrein from 1965 to 1968. He was promoted Colonel in 1969 and held various staff appointments the last from 1975 to 1977 being AAG Ministry of Defence. On retirement, from the Army in January 1978 he was re-employed as RO 1 Schools Liaison Officer in S E District from 1978 to 1983.

He was President of The Queen's Royal Surrey Regimental Association from 1983 to 1989.

He died in December 2016.

See FOSIM Newsletter Page 8 for obituary »

 

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