314396 Major-General Marston Eustace TICKELL, CBE, MC, MiD, Royal Engineers: RIP.

Major-General Marston Tickell - Telegraph

Major-General Marston Tickell, who has died aged 85, won a Military Cross in 1945 and was Chief of Staff in Northern Ireland at a time of mounting violence.










Tickell moved to HQ Northern Ireland in 1971 and, during the next two years, served three commanding generals and three Army commanders in an operational climate which became steadily more demanding. His time there saw the first British soldier killed, internment (with all its problems), Bloody Sunday, and operations to end the no-go areas of Belfast and Londonderry. Restoring security control in the two main cities was highly exacting, but Tickell succeeded with calm, meticulous planning and decisive execution. He was appointed CBE at the end of his tour.
Marston Eustace Tickell, elder son of the late Major-General Sir Eustace Tickell, was born at Chatham on November 18 1923 and educated at Wellington. Like his father, he was commissioned into the Sappers. He commanded a platoon in 100 (Royal Monmouthshire) Field Company RE in the final year of the campaign in north-west Europe. His company was committed to a series of bridging operations – across the Orne, the Seine, the Meuse and the Rhine, where his regiment built the first British bridge.
Over the River Weser, his company built what was reported to be the only successful tank crossing; finally, despite considerable harassment by the enemy, they bridged the Elbe. Tickell's service in this campaign was marked by a commander-in-chief's commendation, a mention in despatches, and finally a Military Cross. His citation noted: "Wherever danger was to be found, there was Lieutenant Tickell."
In September 1946 he was granted a place to read Mechanical Science at Cambridge. He gained a first-class honours degree after two years and was then persuaded to stay on for a further year's course in Engineering. He was awarded another first, and the top prize, and ended the year rowing at Henley as Captain of Boats of his college, Peterhouse.
After spells at the School of Military Engineering; in Germany and at Staff College, he spent two years in the Military Operations branch of the Ministry of Defence, a demanding job for which he was appointed MBE. In 1957 Tickell took command of 23 Field Squadron in Libya and accompanied it to Cyprus. There were then teaching posts at the Royal Military College of Science at Shrivenham, and at the Staff College.
He later moved to Paderborn, Germany, where he took over command of 4th Divisional Engineers. Sometimes his men would practise bridging the fast-flowing River Weser, which he had done 20 years earlier.
He usually let his squadron commanders get on with it, but had the knack of arriving about 10 minutes before disaster struck and gently suggesting a way to avoid it.
In 1968 there were serious floods in Somerset and Devon, and 12 Engineer Brigade, of which Tickell had taken command, constructed eight military bridges within two days to replace those washed away. Attendance at the Indian National Defence College, New Delhi, was followed by the move to Northern Ireland.
In 1972 he was promoted to major-general and appointed engineer-in-chief, the professional head of the Royal Engineers (just like his father, who lived long enough to appreciate the event). His final appointment was that of commandant, Royal Military College of Science. He retired from the Army in 1978.
Tickell had a natural friendliness and wore his cleverness lightly. A talented sailor, he took part in 40 or so ocean races and won many prizes.
These included five Fastnets, including the ill-fated 1979 race, during which he was credited with saving the lives of everyone on his boat.
Settled in Devon, Tickell was colonel commandant RE (1978-83), president of the Institution of Royal Engineers (1979-82) and honorary colonel, Engineer and Transport Staff Corps (1983-88).
Marston Tickell died on September 8. He married, in 1961 Pamela Read, daughter of Vice-Admiral Arthur Read, who survives him.

 

Major General Marston Tickell. RIP.

Tom

 

Major General Marston Tickell RIP

Paul