Spirit Of The Wind
Councillor Major Frederick Charles Pettifer Royal Signals and Mayor of South Wight
The Man Frederick Charles Pettifer was born on Wednesday 13th November 1907, son of William a Lithographic Printer and Florence nee White in Bermondsey, London. He was one of seven children, William Charles (1896–1972), Florence Mary (1899-1981), Rose Lilywhite (1901-1992), Alfreda Ena (1903-1997), Maud Lilian (1905-1989) and Harry Bolougne (1917-1992). He was Baptised with Maud on 26th September 1909 at St Lukes Church in Croydon and the family living at 12 Grasmere Road and by 1911 at 153, Harrington Road.
Following school, Frederick served an apprenticeship in the motor industry with United Service Transport and worked at the Lucas Company at Brixton Hill, rising to works manager. He was also a civilian instructor at the localTerritorial Army Headquarters of the Royal Signals.
He married Margery Ada Tedham in Bromley on 2nd December 1933; they had been friends with each other since the age of three and had grown up around the corner from each other in South Norwood, London. They had one daughter Margaret A, born in 1938.
With the outbreak of World War II imminent, Frederick enlisted and was commissioned into the Royal Signals, Territorial Army, Special List and appointed Lieutenant on 28th August 1939 aged 31. In the register of 1939 Frederick and Margery were living at 140 Kingsway, Beckenham and he was described as a Lieutenant in the 2nd London Division Royal Signals.
During the war he served ‘at home’ as a Staff Officer attached to the Special Operations Executive and Special Communications Units (SCUs). In 1940, The British Army formed the first of 12 SCUs. Their purpose was to provide direct links between individuals or small covert units with their headquarters. He told a local newspaper in later life that he was put in charge of all military and civilian vehicles on special service, fitted with radios. He was responsible for the servicing of more than 700 ‘secret’ vehicles, including General Montgomery’s Rolls Royce, none of which went through the usual army channels.
During his time in the Army, he drove a Packard and said of it, “A great car, so afterwards I kept her mascot as a personal souvenir”. The gleaming Spirit of the Wind mascot later reminding him of his days working in secret during the war.
Frederick was promoted to War substantive Captain and Temporary Major on 26th November 1943 with seniority from 28th August 1939.
Following school, Frederick served an apprenticeship in the motor industry with United Service Transport and worked at the Lucas Company at Brixton Hill, rising to works manager. He was also a civilian instructor at the localTerritorial Army Headquarters of the Royal Signals.
He married Margery Ada Tedham in Bromley on 2nd December 1933; they had been friends with each other since the age of three and had grown up around the corner from each other in South Norwood, London. They had one daughter Margaret A, born in 1938.
With the outbreak of World War II imminent, Frederick enlisted and was commissioned into the Royal Signals, Territorial Army, Special List and appointed Lieutenant on 28th August 1939 aged 31. In the register of 1939 Frederick and Margery were living at 140 Kingsway, Beckenham and he was described as a Lieutenant in the 2nd London Division Royal Signals.
During the war he served ‘at home’ as a Staff Officer attached to the Special Operations Executive and Special Communications Units (SCUs). In 1940, The British Army formed the first of 12 SCUs. Their purpose was to provide direct links between individuals or small covert units with their headquarters. He told a local newspaper in later life that he was put in charge of all military and civilian vehicles on special service, fitted with radios. He was responsible for the servicing of more than 700 ‘secret’ vehicles, including General Montgomery’s Rolls Royce, none of which went through the usual army channels.
During his time in the Army, he drove a Packard and said of it, “A great car, so afterwards I kept her mascot as a personal souvenir”. The gleaming Spirit of the Wind mascot later reminding him of his days working in secret during the war.
Frederick was promoted to War substantive Captain and Temporary Major on 26th November 1943 with seniority from 28th August 1939.
Following the war, he was awarded the Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45 and transferred into the TA Reserve of Officers. He set up his own engineering company in London, servicing Army Command vehicles. Frederick said that he serviced many of his old ‘secret’ cars and vans including Montgomery’s Rolls and when the Field Marshal visited the workshop he recognised Frederick and they ‘had quite a chat’.
In 1954 he was living with Margery at 140 Kingsway, West Wickham, Bromley, Kent and on 4th December 1957 aged 50 ceased to belong to the TARO, retaining the rank of Major.
He eventually disposed of the workshops and became a consultant for insurance companies and law firms as an Automotive Engineer and Assessor, often representing them in court.
In 1965 Frederick moved to the Isle of Wight, having visited for the day as part of his job and fell in love with it. He took Margery over and they purchased a building plot the same day living at Coach Lane, Brading. He took an interest in local politics and was elected to the Islands Rural District Council and Brading Parish Council in February 1969 following a vacancy. As a result of the Local Government Act 1972 these smaller councils were merged with of Sandown-Shanklin and Ventnor Urban Districts to form South Wight Borough Council, one of two on the island the other, Medina. On Thursday 21st June 1973 Frederick was elected as a South Wight Borough Councillor representing the ward of Brading, with 228 votes, a majority of 36 against Ruby Wilkinson 192 and Derek Redfern 152.
In 1995, South White and Medina Borough’s merged to form the Isle of Wight Council.
Frederick served on the Island’s Tourist Board and Community Service Council and on the management committee of Brading youth centre as well as being a governor of Ryde High School. His wife Margery was also a Brading Town Councillor and Chairman of Brading Gardening Club and vice-chairman of Brading Women’s Institute. By now they were living at Kyng’s Close, Brading.
In 1954 he was living with Margery at 140 Kingsway, West Wickham, Bromley, Kent and on 4th December 1957 aged 50 ceased to belong to the TARO, retaining the rank of Major.
He eventually disposed of the workshops and became a consultant for insurance companies and law firms as an Automotive Engineer and Assessor, often representing them in court.
In 1965 Frederick moved to the Isle of Wight, having visited for the day as part of his job and fell in love with it. He took Margery over and they purchased a building plot the same day living at Coach Lane, Brading. He took an interest in local politics and was elected to the Islands Rural District Council and Brading Parish Council in February 1969 following a vacancy. As a result of the Local Government Act 1972 these smaller councils were merged with of Sandown-Shanklin and Ventnor Urban Districts to form South Wight Borough Council, one of two on the island the other, Medina. On Thursday 21st June 1973 Frederick was elected as a South Wight Borough Councillor representing the ward of Brading, with 228 votes, a majority of 36 against Ruby Wilkinson 192 and Derek Redfern 152.
In 1995, South White and Medina Borough’s merged to form the Isle of Wight Council.
Frederick served on the Island’s Tourist Board and Community Service Council and on the management committee of Brading youth centre as well as being a governor of Ryde High School. His wife Margery was also a Brading Town Councillor and Chairman of Brading Gardening Club and vice-chairman of Brading Women’s Institute. By now they were living at Kyng’s Close, Brading.
In 1976 he was elected as South White’s Deputy Mayor and on Tuesday 12th April 1977 in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Shanklin, aged 69 at the Mayor Making ceremony, elected as Mayor of the Borough for the municipal year 1977-78. He was proposed by Cllr G J Orchard and seconded by Brigadier Councillor S J H Green, who said “He will carry our colours with dignity and aplomb”. Frederick said of his appointment “This is one of the highest honours ever accorded me. I will do everything in my power for the Borough, which embraces one of the loveliest areas in England”. He was invested with the chain of Office by the outgoing Mayor Councillor R T Callis.
During his term of office Frederick and Margery attended 157 functions and was honoured to have been Mayor during Her Majesty’s Silver Jubilee year. He was, as Mayor awarded the Silver Jubilee Medal 1977.
Frederick lost his seat at the May 1979 election together with R T Callis in a shock result, the Independents retaining control with 11 seats, the Conservatives with 8 and Liberals 4. This at the same time Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister.
In December 1982, Frederick and Margery celebrated their golden wedding anniversary with a large family gathering at the Dean House Hotel, one year early! They celebrated their diamond ten years later at The Tirol, Ashley Ride.
In later life Frederick and Margery lived at 10, St. Marys Road, Brading, PO36 0HX. Frederick passed away aged 91 in February 1999 at Sandown Isle of Wight and Margery lived a further 11 years living at. She died on 18th February 2011.
During his term of office Frederick and Margery attended 157 functions and was honoured to have been Mayor during Her Majesty’s Silver Jubilee year. He was, as Mayor awarded the Silver Jubilee Medal 1977.
Frederick lost his seat at the May 1979 election together with R T Callis in a shock result, the Independents retaining control with 11 seats, the Conservatives with 8 and Liberals 4. This at the same time Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister.
In December 1982, Frederick and Margery celebrated their golden wedding anniversary with a large family gathering at the Dean House Hotel, one year early! They celebrated their diamond ten years later at The Tirol, Ashley Ride.
In later life Frederick and Margery lived at 10, St. Marys Road, Brading, PO36 0HX. Frederick passed away aged 91 in February 1999 at Sandown Isle of Wight and Margery lived a further 11 years living at. She died on 18th February 2011.
The Story The Silver Jubilee Medal 1977 awarded to Frederick Charles Pettifer was acquired from E-Bay in September 2021.
It was located during a cursory search for Jubilee Medals and the seller’s description was merely ‘ROYAL MINT QEII SILVER JUBILEE MEDAL Issued to PETTIFER’. There was no other detail with the medal.
A search was made of the Silver Jubilee Medal 1977 roll, revealing there to be only one Pettifer who had been awarded the medal, Frederick Charles – Major TD – Mayor of South Wight.
The medal became an immediate must have, as it sits within a collecting sub-theme of Mayors awarded the SJM 1977 of which there are a number in this collection. As such it was watched, bid on and won with the prospect of there being further awards to which Frederick Pettifer may have been entitled, especially as the SJM roll gave the post nominal TD.
When the medal arrived, it was good to see that it had been engraved with his name, as some Council’s appeared to have done before award (Douglas Clark being an example and with identical naming style). Initial research on Ancestry.UK revealed a photograph of Frederick in early life enabling a basic biography to be pieced together. The London Gazette confirmed Frederick had been Commissioned into the Royal Corps of Signals in 1939, and in 1957 as Captain, honorary Major, having exceeded the age limit ceasing to belong to the TA Reserve of Officers and retaining the rank of Major. No mention or confirmation of the award of an Efficiency Decoration could be found in either the LG or Forces War Records. Interestingly in various news reports, he claimed he had been awarded the Decoration.
It would appear he had transferred into the TA Reserve of Officers before qualifying for the Efficiency Decoration, which at the time was 20 years’ service, reduced to 12 in 1949 with war service counting double. Thus, had he transferred into the TARO before 8th April 1949 he would be ineligible. It is possible he felt himself entitled in later life and used the post nominals? The Ministry of Defence Medal Office subsequently confirmed his only medal entitlement were the Defence and War Medal 1939-45.
Frederick appears to have been attached to the Special Operations Executive during the war, which in itself makes an interesting story.
Enquiries with the Isle of Wight Council, South White’s successor body, the local library and newspaper archives revealed, as expected with a former Mayor more detail, enabling a good biography to pieced together as is so often the case with former Mayors.
It was located during a cursory search for Jubilee Medals and the seller’s description was merely ‘ROYAL MINT QEII SILVER JUBILEE MEDAL Issued to PETTIFER’. There was no other detail with the medal.
A search was made of the Silver Jubilee Medal 1977 roll, revealing there to be only one Pettifer who had been awarded the medal, Frederick Charles – Major TD – Mayor of South Wight.
The medal became an immediate must have, as it sits within a collecting sub-theme of Mayors awarded the SJM 1977 of which there are a number in this collection. As such it was watched, bid on and won with the prospect of there being further awards to which Frederick Pettifer may have been entitled, especially as the SJM roll gave the post nominal TD.
When the medal arrived, it was good to see that it had been engraved with his name, as some Council’s appeared to have done before award (Douglas Clark being an example and with identical naming style). Initial research on Ancestry.UK revealed a photograph of Frederick in early life enabling a basic biography to be pieced together. The London Gazette confirmed Frederick had been Commissioned into the Royal Corps of Signals in 1939, and in 1957 as Captain, honorary Major, having exceeded the age limit ceasing to belong to the TA Reserve of Officers and retaining the rank of Major. No mention or confirmation of the award of an Efficiency Decoration could be found in either the LG or Forces War Records. Interestingly in various news reports, he claimed he had been awarded the Decoration.
It would appear he had transferred into the TA Reserve of Officers before qualifying for the Efficiency Decoration, which at the time was 20 years’ service, reduced to 12 in 1949 with war service counting double. Thus, had he transferred into the TARO before 8th April 1949 he would be ineligible. It is possible he felt himself entitled in later life and used the post nominals? The Ministry of Defence Medal Office subsequently confirmed his only medal entitlement were the Defence and War Medal 1939-45.
Frederick appears to have been attached to the Special Operations Executive during the war, which in itself makes an interesting story.
Enquiries with the Isle of Wight Council, South White’s successor body, the local library and newspaper archives revealed, as expected with a former Mayor more detail, enabling a good biography to pieced together as is so often the case with former Mayors.
Medal Details
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded.
- WarMedal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded.
- Silver Jubilee Medal 1977: F.C.PETTIFER
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