Gill Conacher died a month short of her 100th birthday. Born, 22nd June 1923, the one daughter of four older brothers, to the legendary India Quaker missionaries Geoffrey and Mildred Maw. She finished her schooling at Sidcot. Her mother, both a pupil and during the 2nd WW, while Geoffrey was in India, a house matron; her youngest brother, a teacher (Hugh Maw); her sister in law, Daphne (nee Southall); and her two sons (Ian and Neil (Geoff) Conacher); and niece, Christine Coventry, all subsequently on the register of Sidcot Old Scholars.

Gill’s adult life was dictated by the 2nd WW. Having left Sidcot a promising tennis player, she started nursing in Birmingham and got licence to drive ambulances. Her rebellious nature, already manifest, had her going into town during a German bombing raid, on return to find the nurse’s residence had taken a direct hit, fellows and close friends amongst the dead.

Moving to Scotland and Edinburgh she continued her nursing at the prestigious Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. There she was ‘courted’ by a young doctor downgraded to ‘Unfit for Tropical Service’ as consequence of being deployed in the engagements of the ‘Forgotten Army’ in Burma. He, Gordon, a holder of the Burma Star, promptly joined the Colonial Medical Service and took her and her young son to Tanganyika Territory, where her second son, Neil (Geoff), was born.

Disallowed from working by Colonial Service regulation in the same service as her husband, Gill built her life around some twenty or so different translocations and deploying her other skills of typing, administration and yes – playing tennis and golf!

The onset of Tanganyika Independence and transition to the state of Tanzania ended that existence for Gill and Gordon. Their latter working lives passed in occupations in Ethiopia, Malawi, the New Hebrides (Vanuatu) and as missionaries in Pakistan. In each, as in Tanganyika, their day-to-day, impacted by personal, local and national events – murders, man eaters, terrorism, mutinies, regime changes, rebellions, a plane crash.

Gill and Gordon lived out the rest of their lives in a flat in the heart of the academic and golf town of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland.

At the age of 93, Gill survived a head on collision, that she never denied was of her making. Cut out of her car and air-lifted to hospital with a broken neck and potential for limb amputation, after some seven months she returned to her flat. There she survived further health scares and the COVID lock down.

The expectation of her getting a card from the new King was high, but those watching her witnessed an almost deliberate recognition by her that her days of rebellion were over. After all, she already had her card from the late Queen: that for her diamond anniversary wedding to Gordon!

Predeceased by Gordon, and her son Neil, she is survived by Ian, her two daughters in law, six grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

Ian Conacher

Life Member, Sidcot Old Scholars Association (SOSA).

Retired NHS consultant and author.