An MBE for Liveryman Rowena Patrick
Liveryman Rowena Patrick was awarded the MBE in the 2012 New Years Honours list, in recognition of her work with the Burma Star Association.
Rowena had a long and interesting career in the Army retiring as a Major in 1991. Her time in the Army included two tours in the MOD. While serving on her first tour she was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society for her work with the first Joint Service Expedition that reached the summit of Mount Everest. She had a tour in the Far East, serving in Brunei where she formed the Women’s Army for the Sultan of Brunei. She was one of the most senior British officers and the only senior female officer in the Bruneian Army at that time. She was awarded the Seri Laila Jasa an honour personally awarded by the Sultan.
On leaving the Forces, she worked for the Burma Star Association, a World War Two Charity, set up by Lord Louis Mountbatten and Field Marshal the Viscount Slim (known affection ally by his soldiers as “Uncle Bill”) in 1951, to assist veterans of those who fought in Burma during World War Two. As the Benevolence Secretary she worked closely with many agencies and other service and non-service charities in helping the elderly poor veterans, their wives or widows. Rowena also set up the Association’s memorial site at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire and coordinated its opening with the Vice Patron Countess Mountbatten of Burma as the chief guest. She had direct contact with many veterans and their wives and toured local branches throughout the Britain, Northern Ireland and Eire. The Veterans of the theatre of war also included servicemen from the Commonwealth. Working closely as a volunteer with the Royal Commonwealth Ex-serviceman’s League, she ensured that funds were sent to Burma following Typhoon Nigris.
Rowena’s work made a real difference to the lives of many people.
