Peter B Page

Arriving in Shrivenham one day in August 1978, a tall, lanky, lean-faced

young major greeted me and my wife and introduced himself as a
sapper and said that he and his wife Babs would be our student
sponsors for the next year of the staff course.

We had no idea what a sponsor meant. But Pete made it an all-

encompassing term which included friendship and support in all aspects
of living and studying in new environment. True to the sapper motto
Pete was everywhere I needed him. From translating British slang for
me, taking out a Swiss army knife to sharpen my pencil in class to
introducing me to orienteering he educated and trained me and became
my friend.

Always handy with his tools, he fixed loose door hinges, filled up nail
holes, cleaned up grime from the kitchen cooking range when it came to
hand over time and never ever said no. Ready with the jumper cables
and a fully charged battery to start up my wreck of a car wintry
mornings, explained the Ministry of Transport test for aged cars like
mine – Pete’s expertise had no limits.

Slowly I learnt things about him. How he was a keen mountaineer and
had been on the Army Everest Expedition, his carpentry skills and do-it-
yourself projects, his home beer brewing – he taught it to me and
helped me buy my first kit from Boots, etc. He had promised himself and
Babs that he they would return to visit India and I and my wife were
glad to be there when they did.

Pete and Babs were a well-oiled team and Babs was equally helpful to
Meera. We were a newlywed couple and the Pages were mature
shoulders to lean on. Gary and Susan were young children, and we
loved having them around. Susan visited us later when I was
commanding a division in the Rajasthan desert and Gary too has stayed
in touch.

Pete is the reason I bought my first Swiss army knife in Camberley and
have had one since then, of course after 9/11, I can no longer have it in
my pocket all the time as Peter used to.
He had an inner strength, which was never overtly visible. After
retirement, he enrolled himself in a graduate course in Forestry and
qualified as a Forester. He bought a fairly large acreage of woods and
managed it with Babs. He indulged his hobby and also made it
profitable - commitment and sincerity were evident in every one of his
actions. He and Babs rebuilt an old wagon works in Brompton Regis to
live in, starting from just one standing wall of the old ruin. Every beam
and rafter was put in place by them, and most of the wood came from
their own property – felled, sawed and crafted by themselves. Over
Christmas several years ago it burned to the ground, luckily while they
were both away. Pete just shrugged and set about rebuilding and it was
perfect when we stayed with them just a few summers ago.

Pete and I stayed good friends and I thank him for that. Although at the
end of the course when my posting as Brigade Major came in, somebody
asked him whether he would work for me, he said “Not for all the tea in
China”.

My life was enriched by him. He was a Sapper, a qualified Forester,

devoted husband, caring father, practising Christian, and a gentleman. I
forgive the fact that he was also a Brexiteer, after all even Pete could
not be perfect.

Ram Subramanyam
Pune, India, 24 May 2020