Sad to announce that Ron passed away yesterday after a long & debillating illness.
Our thoughts & prayers if you please to his widow Rita in N Yorks.
R.I.P.

Ron Hails was a thoroughly professional soldier and a great credit to his Corps. Sincere condolences to Rita, family and many friends.
RIP Ron.

That's bad news. He was a proper old school Sergeant Major. He was a nasty scary piece of work. Just like he should have been.

RIP.

Knew him as a staffie whilst I was at Harrogate, seemed to occupy a store room somewhere between Scott and Rawson.
Echo the afore-mentioned sentiments, he was thoroughly professional, not the sort of person you wanted a dressing-down from though, he could peel the f*cking skin off your face.

Had some decent conversations with him (yep, as an A/T) once he sussed I was from his neck of the woods, there was a nice, warm-hearted bloke behind the professional soldier.

My sincere condolences to Rita and his family, he'll be sadly missed by anyone who knew him.

To echo the above it is indeed bad news. Was only talking about him yesterday, he had been through the mill over the last 15 months or so.

He was old school but that is by no ways was a bad thing. He would pop in over the last few years for a coffee and to see what I had that he could use!

Sincere condolences to Rita and his family.

Q.

I'd like to relate a little story. I was at 2 Sqn, 21 Sigs (AS) in Osnabruck. Ron had not long ago arrived as the Sqn's Admin Officer. When we'd heard he was coming, those that knew him previously (I knew him when he was Training Wing SSM at Harrogate) were filled with trepidation. I happened to be on duty one day and was doing something or other in the Sqn Office when I saw a gaggle of people round one of the windows. I wandered over (there were all ranks stood there from Sig to Capt), wondering what was up. It appeared that one of the Toms had failed to salute Ron correctly and was in the midst of an impromptu drill lesson, being instructed in the ways of correctly saluting an Officer. The SSM wandered out, looked at what was going on, muttered an expletive and went outside to sort it out. Ron settled down over the months and whilst still was someone that you wouldn't want to cross, became very approachable and helpful. The last time I saw him was in Catterick. I was playing Regimental football for 8 Sigs and he turned up to referee the game. He was, of course, immaculately turned out and looked like MacKay in Porridge where he was reffing a game between the lags and celebs. He showed exactly how a game should be reffed. He did it like a Rugby ref would do it, brooking no dissent and explaining every decision fully.

There'll be some that will only remember the screaming skull side, but he was more than that

RIP. Certa Cito.

Sad news. A thoroughly professional soldier and a fine example of the true values and standards of the British Army. RIP Ron.

The funeral is at 1340, Stonefall Cemetery, Harrogate, on 28 Feb.

Originally Posted by Quaker

To echo the above it is indeed bad news. Was only talking about him yesterday, he had been through the mill over the last 15 months or so.

He was old school but that is by no ways was a bad thing. He would pop in over the last few years for a coffee and to see what I had that he could use!

Sincere condolences to Rita and his family.

Q.

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For the life of me I can not remember this fella.... Lots of memory loss I fear.
All I can think of whilst in Scarborough Barracks did he hold the position of QM ?
His office would have been a little building near the cookhouse tween the Signals Block and RAOC Block...
Sad loss I am sure to those that knew him well.
My condolensences to his family.....








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