Earlier this week, @allan_mallinson reminded me that today marks the 50th anniversary of the passing of Sir John Barbirolli. Here is a humorous story concerning his association with the Suffolk Regiment...

...Sir John served with the 1st Reserve Garrison Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment on the Isle of Grain in 1918-19. His Italian name Giovanni, caused much consternation to his Platoon Sergeant who kept asking ‘whose this bloke called Vanni?’...

...so after much wrangling, he was given the nickname ‘John’ and the name stuck. He along with the Battalion Commander, Colonel Grantham, decided to form a Battalion orchestra. Here John is seated front left with his cello. This is Gravesend, February 1919...

...Roll forward to 1953 and 1st Suffolk were coming home from Malaya. Their troopship docked at Liverpool, where at that time Sir John was conducting with the Halle Orchestra. Keen to show his appreciation of their efforts, Sir John went to the docks to meet them...

...as he stepped foot aboard the ship, he was accosted by two burly military policemen. “Who the hell are you?!” one of them asked. “I’m Sir John Barbirolli” came the reply...

...”of course you are” said the MP, “...and I’m Mickey f***ing Mouse!” Sir John was promptly marched off down the gangplank and he never did get to congratulate his old Regiment...

..only years later did the story come out when Sir John met Bill Deller - a Suffolk Officer, who had served in Malaya, at an embassy party. He told him of the incident and said “Well, I’m fifteen years late, but well done to the Old Twelfth for their service in Malaya!”