Ted Howard-Vyse

An outstanding horseman, Ted Howard-Vyse came from a long line of artillery gunners, and after attending Wellington College and the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, he was commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Artillery in 1925. After initial service in India, he returned to England in 1932, and was posted to the Army School of Equitation and in 1936 won an Olympic three-day event bronze medal. The following year he won the Daily Mail Gold Cup for show jumping at the Horse of the Year Show at Olympia.

At the outbreak of World War II, Howard-Vyse was sent with the British Expeditionary Force to France, and after surviving Dunkirk was posted to the Mediterranean where he fought in the desert war and Italian campaign, commanding various regiments along the way. He also took part in the liberation of Greece and the British invasion of Syria. After the war, Howard-Vyse saw service in Palestine, the Suez Canal, and in Germany until 1959, when he was appointed Director, Royal Artillery at the War Office. He was General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Command from 1961 until his retirement in 1964. During his time in the Army he was honoured with the KBE, CBE, and Military Cross.

After retiring Howard-Vyse moved to Yorkshire where he spent a lot of time riding with the Middleton Hunt and engaging in other equestrian activities. He was also honoured with various lieutenant positions in East and North Yorkshire. Howard-Vyse also devoted a lot of time to the Army Cadet Force Association, of which he was chairman from 1964-74.