It is with great sadness that I inform you of the passing of William 'Bill' Dickins at the age of 84.

Bill's son John informed us on Friday of the news of his father's passing on August 23rd, after battling complications following a Covid infection.

Bill lived in Canada and had made the trip to the UK this summer to attend Grand Day. I was fortunate enough to have been in correspondence with him throughout the year, helping him to plan his visit and it was an absolute pleasure to meet him on the day, along with his son John. I could tell that he was absolutely delighted to be back at the school. Bill said;  ' The Duke of York's made me who I am'.

In his email, referencing his trip to the school on Grand Day, John wrote:" He had nothing but good things to say about DYRMS, and many Dukies he spoke to since his time there.  Those were very important connections to him and he talked about it often and shared many of his stories with me which I devoured with great relish and it made me appreciate that July day. Nothing was going to stop Dad attending! "

Chris Crowcroft commented on hearing the news; Bill was a very proud Dukie, grateful for how School got him through the necessary exams to get to Sandhurst. He served in the British and Canadian Armies, both curtailed by injury before enjoying a long career with the UN in relief work all over the world. Well into his 80s he was running a recruitment agency supplying specialist workers to the UN.

Bill was a supporter of the school until the end, being one of the original Clocktower Society members, he donated a large sum of money to the TDF a few years ago and contributed very generously to the recent Clocktower appeal as it meant so much to him. I presented him with a replacement Clocktower pin when I met him, as he had lost his and he was over the moon to receive it.

I found this photo in the archive of Bill on Grand Day 1949, being presented with a prize by the Duchess of Gloucester, which I sent to him after Grand Day, but sadly never heard back from him.

Rest in Peace Bill.