Lieutenant-Colonel John Isaac MC

John Marion Bernard Isaac was the son of an engineer, born in London on 17 Nov 1917. He was educated at Wellington and studied at the Airlie Estates in Scotland. In 1939 he enlisted in the Border Regiment. He was chosen to take a group of soldiers to the Middle East to demonstrate a new anti-tank mortar. The first demonstration was in front of an audience of Turkish ministers, generals and ambassadors. But the weapon failed to work and an embarrassing situation developed as the audience became impatient and began to disperse. Just then Isaac managed to fix the fault and shouted out, “See that telegraph pole? I will show you how close we can get!” The inert round was so well aimed that it hit the pole at 100 yards and brought it down. All communications with Ankara were severed.
John Issac served with the 6th Green Howards in North Africa and Sicily. By the time D-Day arrived he was a captain and appointed intelligence officer of 69 Brigade. Twelve days after D-Day the 50th Division had fought their way 20 miles inland through the bocage country. Captain Isaac was standing with the brigade commander during an attack on the village of Les Orailles by the 7th Battalion Green Howards. Their advance was held up by mortar and machine-gun fire. A section of 15 men of the battalion had become separated and were taking cover in a nearby ditch. Isaac ran forward and led them back to their company which was was pinned down by accurate fire. The company commander was wounded so Capt Isaac assumed command, leading the whole company forward regardless of machine-gun and sniper fire. They managed to overrun the enemy position and put the weapons out of action. John Isaac was awarded the Military Cross.
A few days later he was badly wounded by a shell from a Tiger tank and had to be sent back to England. He was fit enough to return in time for the Rhine crossing and advance to Berlin. After the war he obtained a regular commission in 1946 and attended Staff College. He was then with the 2nd Battalion in the Canal Zone and Cyprus, and then the 1st Battalion in Hong Kong. He also served for 5 years in Norway. He was military attache in Laos during the Vietnam war. He had to be reprimanded for flying a single engine aircraft too low while investigating a road being built by the Chinese near the border. The trouble was that he had the prime minister of Laos and Prince Souvanna Phouma as passengers.
Isaac retired in 1968 and developed a yacht marina in the Bahamas. He later moved to Hove in Sussex and continued to sail. He was county co-ordinator for Operation Raleigh. He never married and died on 27 Feb 2004.

Regimental Details | Soldiers