Grant Richard Henry Lt. Col.

(Bearbeiten)

Biografie:
Lt. Col. Richard Henry Grant, MC, RM (1927-1981)
Dicky Grant's death in October 1981, at the early age of 53, came as a surprise and shock to his many friends who, until his final debilitating illness, had seen him as a powerhouse of energy, zest and life.
Dicky joined the Royal Marines towards the end of the war and became a regular officer. Early on he specialized as a cliff climbing instructor in the Commando Chief Assault Centre based at St Ives in Cornwall. This was a wonderfully off-beat little Commando Unit, full of elan, which specialized in the technique of small raids, made by landing on a rocky foreshore and scaling the cliffs. Here he found full scope for his natural strength and ability as a rock climber. He soon widened his experience by mountaineering in the British hills and the Mont Blanc range. He also became adept in the skills of snow warfare with visits to Norway and Canada. It was an excellent apprenticeship for the expeditions to follow. Dicky's military leadership wa demonstrated when he was awarded the MC for operations in Cyprus.
Dicky's first big opportunity came in 1958 when he was selected for the Joint Services expedition to Rakaposhi in the Karakoram. He quickly showed himself to be a powerful climber at altitude without oxygen. He carried to the top camp at 24,000 ft and was then well poised one camp below, with Richard Brooke, to follow the summit pair. Their summit hopes were dashed when their tent was blown to ribbons in a storm. Not only did Dicky make a major contribution to the success of the expedition but his buoyant good humour added significantly to the genial atmosphere which prevailed.
In 1960 he joined another Joint Services expedition, this time to Annapurna II (26,041 ft) in the Nepal Himalaya. WhenJimmy Roberts became ill the leadership was assumed by Dicky; it could not have fallen into more competent hands. Together with Chris Bonington and Ang Nyima, he climbed to the summit. The remarkable thing was that, on the final climb, Dicky's oxygen set failed. Amazingly, he managed to keep up, and occasionally to lead, despite the fact that the other 2 were on oxygen. This was a measure of the physical and mental power of the man. Jimmy Roberts paid fulsome praise to Dicky's leadership and mountaineering ability. Chris Bonington, in his early autobiography I Chose to Climb, looked back on Annapurna II as one of the most harmonious and well run expeditions he had ever taken part in.
When he retired from the Royal Marines Dicky became the warden of the Lochiel outdoor pursuits centre in Lochaber which, until a couple of years ago, he ran with his customary professional skill and understanding.
Mike Banks
Quelle: Alpine Journal Volume 87, 1982, Seite 263-264


Geboren am:
1927
Gestorben am:
10.1981