Lieutenant-Colonel Jerome Church Obituary

Jerome Church became chief executive of Blesma, the Limbless Veterans’ association, on the eve of two wars in which the loss of limbs became a concern almost comparable to that for fatal casualties. The insurgencies that followed the initial military successes in Iraq and Afghanistan featured widespread use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), imposing an insidious threat inhibiting deployment under fire and travel on and off roads.

Church had lost a leg to an IED in Northern Ireland but found the determination and humour to live an almost normal life. This inspired him to help shape the report that transformed prosthetic provision for veteran amputees of all conflicts and to campaign for a radical reappraisal of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.

He widened Blesma’s adventure and challenge activities to rebuild amputees’ mental and physical strengths and their self-esteem. Above all, he embodied a fellowship that helped many severely damaged young men to begin newly independent and fulfilling lives.

An ebullient individual, Jerome Wilfrid Church was respected by his soldiers for his leadership and equally for his example of how to endure and even mock disability. Asked how he was feeling on the way to hospital he quipped “Well, legless, really”.

His energy and resolution contributed to the incident in which he was wounded. Commanding a patrol of four Humber armoured personnel carriers, known as “pigs” for their snout-like bonnets, in Co Tyrone in February 1972, he gave chase to a civilian car that had made a rapid three-point turn on approaching a checkpoint. Despite radio warnings of a possible trap Church continued until reaching a road block that the pursued car had by-passed using the grass verge. He dismounted to guide two “pigs” round the obstacle. As the first began to move, a blast from an explosion passed beneath the vehicle shattering Church’s lower-right leg and seriously injuring another soldier. The pursued car was later proved to be in use by the Provisional IRA.

As soon as the news of his injury reached his fiancée, Jane Merry, she flew home from Australia to be with him. She was living with her parents, Captain Vernon Merry, RN, and his wife, Majorie, in Canberra, where Merry was naval adviser to the British High Commission. Church’s own parents, Commander John Church, RN, and his wife, Rosemary, had been killed in a motor accident when he was 15. He was educated at Downside and commissioned from Sandhurst into the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in 1968. It was while serving with the 3rd Battalion in Gibraltar that he met his future wife, who was then working as secretary to the commanding officer.

They were married in 1973 but at no time did Church consider any future other than to return to service with his regiment, rejoining the 3rd Battalion as soon as a prosthesis had been fitted. He developed a habit of knocking out his pipe on his artificial leg until on one occasion the mess sergeant approached him saying, “Sir, I think you will find that your trousers are on fire.”

His disability made return to active service as a junior officer problematical, so he accepted a career in posts where his natural enthusiasm and courage set an example. He was an instructor at the Junior Leaders Battalion, Oswestry, the Queen’s Division’s training centre at Bassingbourn, and at Sandhurst. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel to become an instructor at the Kenyan staff college and then command the depot at Bassingbourn. He served on the public relations staff of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (Shape) in Mons from 1994 to 2000.

Sailing in the Baltic with his family was his principal pastime as he and Jane brought up their three children: Victoria, who is working for Anglo-American in London; Alexandra, a banking IT specialist who married another and is now caring for their triplets in New Jersey; Elizabeth, who works in property development; and William, who is a project manager for the Thomson Reuters Foundation in London. His wife, son and three daughters all survive him.

When he heard of the forthcoming vacancy of chief executive of Blesma in 2000 he quickly applied. On leaving 14 years later he was appointed OBE (Civil) having received an MBE (Military) for his work at the Directorate of Infantry in 1989. Motor neurone disease ended his sailing days but he and Jane still travelled the world. He died from injuries in a fall while they were visiting their daughter in New Jersey.

Church will be remembered for his indomitable spirit. On being discharged from hospital in 1972 he greeted his company commander’s wife with a grin when she saw his stump and crutches and asked: “Any chance of a cup of tea? I’ve just been auditioning for a part in Treasure Island.”

Lieutenant-Colonel Jerome W Church, OBE, soldier, was born on February 29, 1948. He died on June 11, 2016, aged 68.

Credit: The Times