Lieut-Col. Edward Gopsill MC, DSO, OBE

"Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Gopsill, who has died aged 94, was awarded an MC and a DSO while serving on operations in Indo-China and Malaya.

In December 1949 Gopsill was in the Jerantut area of Pahang, Malaya, in command of a company of 1st Battalion 6th Gurkha Rifles (1/6 GR). On December 13 news came through that a platoon of 1/10 GR was following up a large group of Communist terrorists (CTs) about 150 strong.

Gopsill took up the chase and after a short night’s stop was on the move shortly after six o’clock in the morning, when it is was hardly light in the jungle. The CT’s camp was located. The terrorists were already on the move and, after a sentry opened fire, Gopsill attacked at once.

He had about 60 men and was outnumbered and outgunned. In an out-flanking move, he sent two platoons to the left and right while he charged down the centre with one platoon. He himself shot four CTs and the ferocity of his attack forced the gang to make a hasty retreat.

Shortly afterwards, the CTs launched two determined counter-attacks but despite coming under heavy machine gun and rifle fire, Gopsill beat them back each time, causing them severe losses. After the second attack, the bandits fled through a swamp and into dense jungle hotly pursued by Gopsill’s men with him in the lead.

The citation for the award to him of a DSO ended with the statement: “He displayed high qualities of courage and leadership and never spared a thought for his own safety. His company of young soldiers has the best battle record in the Battalion and their fighting spirit and enthusiasm reflects that of their courageous leader.”

Edward Gopsill was born at Birkenhead on December 22 1921. It was the time of the Depression and his father was unemployed for 12 years. Having left school aged 14 and joined a local brick-making business as the office boy, he went to night school three evenings a week.

On the outbreak of the Second World War, he enlisted in the King’s Liverpool Regiment as a private. Within six weeks he was a lance-corporal. On leave in 1941 he dived into the River Mersey to rescue a man and boy who were drowning. He was awarded a Bronze Medal by the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society.

He was among a small number who volunteered for the Parachute Group, which eventually became the Parachute Regiment. Training involved practising jumps and rolling down steep banks and Gopsill, who was a big man, got his nickname “Fairy” for his rather inelegant execution of these manoeuvres.

He subsequently embarked for India, joined the Gurkhas and, in 1942, was commissioned into 3rd/1st King George V’s Own Gurkha Rifles. He served variously with the 1st, 6th and 7th Gurkhas in Burma and French Indo-China (now Vietnam). In 1946, for his service in the first Vietnam War, he was awarded an MC."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/09/14/lieutenant-colonel-edward-gopsill--obituary/