William Down (OB 1943-1950)

William Richard Down was born on the 21st of December 1932 at Rock Villa in Mumbles near Swansea, to Geoffrey and Phyllis Down. The family moved to Gidea Park during the war, where William attended Brentwood School.

William had an adventurous spirit and when on leave from national service in the army, he thought nothing of cycling from London to the family home in Mumbles. He enjoyed national service and was responsible for instructing recruits to drive Centurion tanks. Whilst in the turret on exercises one day he was caught by a wire stretched across the road by a resentful farmer and was pulled to the ground, breaking his wrist. He was also an excellent shot and won a medal at the inter squadron rifle meeting in 1953.

William studied hard at Brentwood School and after leaving gained employment with the Sun Alliance insurance company, where he worked for 43 years.

William married Elizabeth (nee Smith) on the 3rd of September 1960 and honeymooned in Spain, travelling in their Mini. Simon was born in December 1964 followed by Sarah in September 1969.

William was a keen gardener and when the family moved to the newly built 12 North Lawn in Ipswich in 1969, he had a blank canvass to work with. Grass was laid and brambles tackled in the wooded area behind the house. With the garden establishing itself his attention turned to growing fruit and vegetables and a large walk in fruit cage added to the productive capacity of the garden.

William’s yearning to travel saw him buy a Bedford motor caravan in 1972. Each year he would plan a family trip to a different country in mainland Europe and choose campsites from which to explore the surrounding area. During these holidays he developed a love for Italy and in 1987 bought a ruin in Umbria with his brother Robert. It’s fair to say that Robert was horrified when he first set eyes on the tumbled down stone walls, which roughly indicated the dimensions of the property. Undeterred, William threw his all into having the house renovated, the first one in the abandoned hamlet. He attended Italian classes and visited the house as often as he could with Elizabeth, the sweeping views from which made it all worthwhile.

During an office move to Chancery Lane, London, William came across an antique atlas of the counties of Great Britain which was being discarded. This discovery sparked his interest in map collecting which he enjoyed with his friend John over a number of years.

In retirement William was keen to rekindle his enthusiasm for motor racing and looked forward to attending the Goodwood Revival, recreating the era of motorsport which he enjoyed in the 1950s. He also relished his cycling trips with his friend Brian, which took them all over Suffolk and to some lovely pubs for a well earned drink.

His interest in the military led him to join the Naval and Military Club in London in 2001 and he attended numerous lectures given on notable military events, as well as using the establishment as a base from which to explore London. His interest in military history saw him go on several guided tours over the years, the last one being in 2023 when his poor mobility meant he had to use a wheelchair.

William died peacefully on 19th of December 2025 with his son and daughter present.