Arthur George Eckford Loram
Person details
| Forename(s) | Arthur George Eckford |
|---|---|
| Surname | Loram |
| Rank | Major |
| Regiment | Royal Armoured Corps |
| Age | 31 |
| Death | Killed in action |
| Place of Death | Western Europe > Germany |
| Date of Death | 07/04/1945 |
| Year of Entry | 1928 |
| House Letter | C |
| School Notes | - |
| Comments | |
| Commonwealth War Graves Commission Link | https://www.cwgc.org/find-record... |
| Unit | 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry |
| Prefect | - |
| Military Decorations | |
| Album Number | 22 |
| Battle | |
| Previous Regiment | Royal Gloucestershire Hussars |
| Burial or Cemetery | Germany > Hanover |
| Citations | |
| Archives | Correspondence file in OR files in Radley Archives |
| Post School | Royal Bank of Scotland; Tea planting in Ceylon [Sri Lanka]; Married |
| Prep School | |
| Prisoner of War | |
| Radlein Obituary |
June 17 1945. Killed in action on the Western Front in April, 1945, Arthur George Eckford Loram. Major, Royal Gloucestershire Hussars (Hellard's, C, 1928-31). He took the name of Loram soon after leaving Radley; while here, he was Eckford - generally known to his contemporaries for some reason as "Peter". He was a good athlete and played in the Ist XV in 1930 and 1931, though he hardly fulfilled his early promise at cricket. Though a hard worker, he had little aptitude for book learning, and left rather young, to be coached for the examination for Hongkong and Shanghai Bank. which after all proved too stiff for him. He was with the Royal Bank of Scotland for two years, and later was tea-planting with his stepfather in Ceylon; then he joined Messrs. Cumberbatch & Co. He married in 1942, having been commissioned in 1940. An energetic. reliable, and cheerful person, who probably "found himself" in the Army to an extent that would never have been possible in business. Our sympathy goes out to his widow. March 10 1946. We regret that in our issue of the 17th June, 1945, there appeared an obituary notice of Major Loram which gave an inadequate account of the career of this distinguished officer and so caused distress to his family and friends. We are glad to be able now to publish the testimony of his, Commanding Officer to one whose life lived and laid down in the service of his country brought honour to the school. Lord Leigh, the Colonel of his Regiment, writes: Peter Loram joined 1st Royal Gloucestershire Hussars, as one of the first batch of war-time officers, on Cheltenham Racecourse during the severe winter of 1939-40. The new intake were naturally watched with some care and it soon became obvious that in Peter we had an officer, who not only knew his job technically, but, what was even more important, was really interested in his men, was liked by them and was more than prepared to face higher authority on their behalf. In fact we had a good officer. Peter was so quiet about it all, that I think we only realized quite how good he was when during the next four years, from time to time, the Regiment was asked to send officers abroad. Although no one ever loved the Regiment better and he remained a Gloucestershire Hussar in spirit to the end of his life, Peter was always among the first volunteers for active service and so, at these times, his name always came up for discussion. No matter what squadron he was in or what job he was doing, including the very responsible one of Technical Adjutant, his application was always vetoed by his immediate superior "I am sorry, but I cannot do without Peter". After "D" Day when it became obvious that 1 R.G.H. was not destined for Active Service, Peter got his chance and was posted to the Fife and Forfarshire Yeomanry in 11th Armoured Division. Here his quality was immediately recognised and he was given command of a squadron in a very short time and took no small part in the capture of Amiens and the advance to the borders of Germany. His death in action during last winter was a bitter blow to both the Yeomanry Regiments, who had had the good fortune to have him among their officers. Although the whole keynote of his work was quiet efficiency few people could enjoy themselves as he could and he was capable of bursts of infectious enthusiasm, which were all the more charming, because of their unexpectedness. At all times it was good to have Peter Loram with you. |
| Service Number | 117254 |
| Place of Birth |
