Michael de Burgh, who has died aged 100, was believed to be the last surviving member of the 9th Royal Lancers who saw active service in the Second World War
The son of Colonel Hugo de Burgh, OBE, MC, Michael was born in Norwich on 11th June 1923.
His father, a gunnery officer, was awarded his MC at Ypres in the First World War. In the Second World War, Col. de Burgh was captured and, after the Italian Armistice, as Senior British Officer, on 10 minutes’ notice, he marched out the PoWs as a battalion from the camp at Fontanellato where they had been held, taking more than 600 men with him. He subsequently climbed over the Monte Rosa and into Zermatt to effect his escape from Italy.
In June 2023, the day that the Queen became Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Lancers, Michael was awarded an honorary Buchan Medal by Her Majesty at Clarence House. The medal commemorates Lieutenant Patrick (Paddy) Buchan, an exact contemporary of Hugo de Burgh who was killed in action in Italy on 10th September 1944.
Michael died shortly after both this event and his 100th birthday. He was a great supporter of the Trust and came in his 90th year to the celebrations in Fontanellato in 2013.
Christopher Woodhead
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