Dundee-born John Rattray Angus, who had a long career in the regular and territorial armies, has died aged 82.
He served for close on three decades with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers before being commissioned as a Major in the TA.
After his service in the REME, John spent a decade working as a traffic officer with the Department of Transport (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) in Edinburgh.
John Rattray Angus was born in Dundee to Bessie and John Rattray Angus (senior). He was brought up in the family home in St Peter Street, Dundee, and was older brother to Allan.
His father was a mechanic with the then Dundee Corporation and John was educated first at Hawkhill Primary School and then Harris Academy.
He left school aged 15-and-a-half and after a spell as a junior soldier, began an apprenticeship with the REME at Arborfield in Berkshire.
John began electrical training but later specialised in mechanical engineering.
It was during his first posting to the Catterick base in North Yorkshire that he met his future wife, Patricia, who came from the county and was also serving in the army.
Marriage
They married at Richmond in Yorkshire on March 26 1960, and went on to have two daughters, Liz and Jill.
The years that followed saw the family travel the world widely with the army.
They spent two years in Benghazi in Libya and thereafter several lengthy postings around Germany before settling for a spell at Bordon in Surrey.
John’s final posting was to Benbecula in the Hebrides where he was the ASM in charge of the REME workshop.
He retired from the REME in 1984 as an Artificer Sergeant Major after 27 years’ service.
The family returned to Scotland and when John became a Department of Transport Enforcement officer based in Edinburgh, they moved to Dalgety Bay and then latterly to the Livingston area.
John continued military service by joining a Territorial Army unit in Edinburgh then latterly Grangemouth where he rose to become a Major before fully retiring. During his service John was proud to be one of the founder members of the REME Association Scotland Branch.
In their leisure time, John and Patricia were dedicated caravanners who would think nothing of spending three months away from home touring the UK and favourite spots in Europe including Italy, Germany, France and Austria.
John was also a lifelong Dundee FC fan and a dog lover.
At his funeral, John will be honoured with a REME standard bearer and REME coffin drape.
He is survived by Patricia, Liz and her husband Gregor; Jill and her husband Calais; grandchildren Jaye, Chris, Calais and Alex and great-granddaughter, Sula.
You can read the family’s announcement here.
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