Joe Tippett in 1950
(21st April 2009) A new blog page to honour the memory of Joe, using part of his photo memorabilia kindly forwarded by his nephew Graham Martin and scanned by Swanny Swanson. Many of the photos are faded and speckled. Some of ’em are untitled; in due course I hope to add more captions that will identify names and places.
Joe as the CO’s Bugler, obviously visited all of the Company postings throughout the Caribbean from the early days off the Empire Clyde, throughout his term as a regular soldier. Joe is clearly and fondly remembered by the Editor from Basic Training at Bodmin in November 1953 and during his regular visits to Prospect Bermuda, where his poignant rendering of Regimental Bugle Calls, stopped us in our tracks from whatever we were then doing and made us all proud to be members of the Light Infantry with its historical traditions.
Joe, 2007
I was greatly saddened to have learned of Joe’s untimely death last year, particularly as many of we “A” Company cheps from Bermuda and other lads from the Jamaican contingent in ’54-’57, will be meeting this year during our Caribbean Re-Union. Joe, you are sorely missed and we shall especially remember you during Graham’s rendering of the Last Post on Thursday 11th June at The Keep, Bodmin.
June 2007
Duty Bugler
Joe at Prospect Garrison Bermuda
Cpl Joe Knight, 3 Platoon verandah, Bermuda 1954
Cpl Ernie Smith left, others unknown
HMT Empire Clyde Feb 1954
HMT Empire Clyde Feb 1954
Joe Tippett and Dave Allen on HMT Empire Clyde Feb 1954
Waiting for lunch
Bugle Major Bill Alan
HMT Empire Clyde
LIGHT INFANTRY MOST WANTED 
ED
How proud Peter (Joe) would have been if he could have seen his nephew Graham at Maj Gen.Tyacke’s Memorial Service dressed in BD with the DCLI flashes etc and to be given RSM Terry Joll’s silver bugle on that occasion.
Graham as our bugler does our Branch and Joe so proud and he is a very good bugler to boot, congratulations to Graham for carrying on the family tradition of SILVER BUGLER, Bravo.
I’m new boy on the blog, I would just like to say, I can’t claim to know Peter ‘Joe’ Tippett personally but I’m sure I heard him playing at some time, I can understand you guys admiring him for what he did, and was good at.
‘Joe’ RIP.
J B,
Hi Graham
Thanks for the comment.
Derek is on the way back to Oz at present and says he will need to re organize the blogs when he gets back. It was great to have him stay with us for a couple of days and the weather was perfect (pissing down now of course.
Annie also enjoyed her chat to Carol and sends her regards to her.
Do keep blogging, we fear that there may be a drop off now the Re-Union is over.
Derek thinks there may be lots of the lads looking in but are a bit put off from joining in. Keep in touch hey?
Graham
A belayed thanks for your efforts at Bodmin. Great bugling, hope you get the BD sorted to 1955 style.
Great to meet you, Annie enjoyed chatting to Carol
John
Nice to hear from you, hope you enjoyed the hustle and bustle of life in downtown Penzance. The BD is as we speak under reconstruction, badges being changed and creases being ironed in all the right places. It was very nice meeting you and Annie also the dogs of course, well you have now tasted the modern equivelent of ye olde panther pee. Not very impressive is it? We save it for the unsuspecting visitor to our shores and feed it to them by the bucket load, and they think us locals are stupid. I walk past the union hotel from time to time just to see if our friendly landlord has commited suicide, he seemed to be doing a good job when we all ate there. Well time to leave the keyboard now and go and polish up my brasses etc, on parade again on saturday for the armed forces day.
Take care, likewise Carol enjoyed meeting Annie and the dogs.
Peter Tippett.
I remember Peter Tippett, as he used to paint the outside of our house every four years, he worked for Morris Rowe Builder (Heamoor) when I was about 4 years old. Peter and his mate Johnny (surname will come to me) were painting the houses (Haig Homes) in Heamoor where I was born in 1957. As a 4 yr old, I came out the back door just as Peter dropped a tin of Green Gloss paint whilst painting the upstairs windows. Yep you got it – right over my head. Well about 8 pints of turps later I was cleaned up again. I will never forget those days as a kid when the painters came around.
Just like to say hello to Graham Martin as well while I’m here, another Heamoor Boy, and good friend of my brother Ronnie.
Regards
Barney.
Hiya,
I just wanted to chip in and say that I’m Graham’s eldest daughter and I really appreciate this page. I never really spoke to Uncle Peter about any of this but I am very interested in reading all about your experiences (don’t worry, I’ll shield my tender eyes from any bits I shouldn’t see).
Karen
Thanks Karen
Your comments are greatly appreciated and a further example of how wide and deep is the spirit of the DCLI. Your Uncle Peter – ‘Joe’ to me and my Bermuda Mates – is fondly remembered and missed – his early death a great tragedy on the eve of of our Caribbean Re-Union. Graham’s bugling at the Keep on Thursday 11th June will evoke many many memories of the Last Post played on balmy nights in Bermuda and Jamaica.
On the matter of the shielding tender eyes – I’ll make no mention of the stuff that doesn’t make it past my censorship.
The photo is of HM The Queen on a visit to Jamaica with The Governor Etc. date ??
The Queen toured Bermuda 24-25 th Nov, Jamaica 25-27 th Nov 1953.
Ed,
Many thanks for setting up this excellent site for Pete, it is indeed a great tribute to him. It is very timely as Pete died on the 28th April 2008. He used to talk about one or two of the bugle platoon especially Mark Ware, Buggs Mellor etc. But he never told me everything, (obviously not fit for my tender young ears). Someone needs to get all of the goings on down on paper or in this case on the screen, then we can all have a laugh and for people like me who missed it all, an educational trip down memory lane.
Bugle practice by the way is progressing well, only a few mistakes but it will be alright on the night as they say.
Graham.
ED, The wedding photo is Bugler (Buggsy) Mellors and Joe Tippett who was his best man taken in Jamaica. Buggsy was our Coy Bugler for his term in Bermuda. He could blow the bugle louder than any other; it was said his bugle calls could be heard for miles! Apparently he was reprimanded for blowing to loud?
We had a first class friendship with Bugle Platoon members when they were in Bermuda, and we still see Mark Weir on a regular basis and I keep in contact with Cpl (Curly) Wotton who lives near Exeter and my cousin Brian Boase who lives in Plymouth.
ED, The photo of you thought was Jack, is photo of Bugle Major (Bill Alan) looking at plants?
The group dressed in Mess kit for waiting at table; second from left at front row is my cousin Brian Boase; the rest are buglers I think?
Ed.
Sorry but the photo is not me. I don’t recognise the style of building either so can’t say where it may be. Swanny had lots of pix from Graham which I thoroughly enjoyed looking at, like NAAFI in UP Park Camp. It was a lot bigger than I remember. Shows what the years does to the memory.
ED. The photo taken on Empire Clyde is Joe and David Allen who was in your Intake, he was RP in Plymouth and Jamaica, both have sadly died RIP, I didn’t know lots of people on Joe’s pics but hoped if anyone who sees our blogs would recognise some of pics of mainly Jamaica? But my cousin Bugler Brian Boase is in several photos taken, on guard etc.
Hopefully someone will identify and put names to them.
Thanks Swanny
Many more pix to be published gradually. I’ve concentrated on the people pix initially and will then post the scenic shots. Like you, I’m hopeful that we’ll get more responses when faces and places are recognised. Thanks for your help in all of this, Graham Martin will be very pleased with the result I’m sure.
JOE’S PHOTO MEMORABILIA
If you can identify any of the faces or scenes that are shown randomly above, kindly hit ‘Reply’ with details. I shall be able to privately capture your email address.
As a Jamaica bugler these photos (some of which are mine) have the wrong captions. I shall send corrections to Derek Lovemore. I would love to get a email from Curly Wooton.
Have a great Re-Union. REMEMBER YOU ARE ALL IN YOUR 70’s
Thanks JG
All the photos were forwarded from Graham Martin, who inherited Joe’s military artifacts. None were borrowed from those of yours that I have on file, although many are similar. I shall appreciate correction to captions, as it needs the keen eye of someone who was there.
You’ll be with us in spirit JG, as it is your profile that features (as the bugler) on the images that front the Commemorative Card, that all will receive.
Thanks for your comment.
John G.
Sorry you wont be here for Re-Union but it’s a long way to come just for a few days. We wont forget we are in our 70s. There is no way we will be doing 140 around Penzance. All the best.
Jack.