RICHARD "Killer" FRY RIP

Anything that doesn't fit anywhere else, but that's still CH related.

Moderator: Moderators

User avatar
CHAZ
Grecian
Posts: 947
Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2008 1:15 pm
Real Name: Charles Ian Forster
Location: FRANCE

RICHARD "Killer" FRY RIP

Post by CHAZ »

I read with sadness in recent CHOBA newsletter the news of Killer Fry's passing. Much has been written here on his heroics in WW11 and his Military Cross.

I will remember him as my LE Biology teacher and of course the best Hall Warden ever! A gentleman and one of CHs finest. RIP Sir.
Charles Forster
PeB 1978-1984
User avatar
LongGone
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 383
Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2008 4:17 pm
Real Name: Mike Adams
Location: New England

Re: RICHARD "Killer" FRY RIP

Post by LongGone »

Sad news. He was by far the best teacher I ever had, and I stayed in touch with him, visiting him several times over the decades. When I asked about taking A level Botany he visibly winced, but then threw himself into running a tutorial for me and one other pupil (name forgotten) with such enthusiasm that I did better than in Zoology. He also gave me free run of the Biology lab to conduct 'experiments' that hooked me on research enough that 50+ years later I am still at it.
If a stone falls on an egg: alas for the egg
If an egg falls on a stone: alas for the egg
User avatar
J.R.
Forum Moderator
Posts: 15835
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:53 pm
Real Name: John Rutley
Location: Dorking, Surrey

Re: RICHARD "Killer" FRY RIP

Post by J.R. »

Sad news indeed. He taught me for one year.
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
michael scuffil
Button Grecian
Posts: 1612
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 12:53 pm
Real Name: michael scuffil
Location: germany

Re: RICHARD "Killer" FRY RIP

Post by michael scuffil »

There is a parachute regiment obit at https://paradata.org.uk/people/richard-n-fry

It shows him with a cigarette, but if I recall, at CH he occasionally smoked a pipe.

The obit doesn't say when he was born, but if he was given a commission in 1943, he can't have been born after 1925, and so would've been 91 at least when he died. Does anyone know?

I was never taught by him. He was my junior housemaster for six years, and I knew him fairly well. The senior housemasters were John Page and Pat Cullen. I imagine he got on quite well with the former and less well with the latter.

Between the army and CH he was a member of Special Branch, but he said he didn't like the work. However, it gave him an insight into the infiltration of pacifist and other worthy organizations by hardcore communists, and he warned me (a pacifist at the time) against them.

I've posted elsewhere on this forum about how he got his nickname. (I was present at its coining.)

In his (rarely occupied) junior housemaster's study he kept an unguarded and very sharp sword on display. Junior housemasters' studies were often used by boys for music evenings and the like, and certain macho types would demonstrate how to cut a book in half with a single stroke of the sword. They could easily have cut an arm off. A tad irresponsible on his part, perhaps.
Th.B. 27 1955-63
User avatar
J.R.
Forum Moderator
Posts: 15835
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:53 pm
Real Name: John Rutley
Location: Dorking, Surrey

Re: RICHARD "Killer" FRY RIP

Post by J.R. »

Thanks for that link, Michael.

It makes for very interesting reading.
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
sejintenej
Button Grecian
Posts: 4092
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2005 12:19 pm
Real Name: David Brown ColA '52-'61
Location: Essex

Re: RICHARD "Killer" FRY RIP

Post by sejintenej »

michael scuffil wrote: and certain macho types would demonstrate how to cut a book in half with a single stroke of the sword. They could easily have cut an arm off. A tad irresponsible on his part, perhaps.
and those present and those who heard about it learned that you don't play with sharp knives. Try and tell a kid not to play with something sharp and it is a safe bet that they will try (and posibly get hurt). We learn from personal experience, seldom by being told not to ...
What happens if a politician drowns in a river? That is pollution.
What happens if all of them drown? That is solution!!!
dsmg
UF (Upper Fourth)
Posts: 90
Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2010 2:55 pm
Real Name: daniel

Re: RICHARD "Killer" FRY RIP

Post by dsmg »

Quite a character and obviously very brave. He was my housemaster in LHB and I was a button grecian with his son Dominic. RIP
Play up Pompey!
michael scuffil
Button Grecian
Posts: 1612
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 12:53 pm
Real Name: michael scuffil
Location: germany

Re: RICHARD "Killer" FRY RIP

Post by michael scuffil »

sejintenej wrote:
michael scuffil wrote: and certain macho types would demonstrate how to cut a book in half with a single stroke of the sword. They could easily have cut an arm off. A tad irresponsible on his part, perhaps.
and those present and those who heard about it learned that you don't play with sharp knives. Try and tell a kid not to play with something sharp and it is a safe bet that they will try (and posibly get hurt). We learn from personal experience, seldom by being told not to ...
If someone had cut their hand off (or someone else's) -- and frankly it could easily have happened -- he would certainly have been held responsible, even in those days I think. Leaving a sharp sword unguarded and prominently displayed in a room to which 14-year-olds have unsupervised access (and you know they have, because they've asked your permission) is asking for trouble.
Th.B. 27 1955-63
User avatar
J.R.
Forum Moderator
Posts: 15835
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:53 pm
Real Name: John Rutley
Location: Dorking, Surrey

Re: RICHARD "Killer" FRY RIP

Post by J.R. »

michael scuffil wrote:
sejintenej wrote:
michael scuffil wrote: and certain macho types would demonstrate how to cut a book in half with a single stroke of the sword. They could easily have cut an arm off. A tad irresponsible on his part, perhaps.
and those present and those who heard about it learned that you don't play with sharp knives. Try and tell a kid not to play with something sharp and it is a safe bet that they will try (and posibly get hurt). We learn from personal experience, seldom by being told not to ...
If someone had cut their hand off (or someone else's) -- and frankly it could easily have happened -- he would certainly have been held responsible, even in those days I think. Leaving a sharp sword unguarded and prominently displayed in a room to which 14-year-olds have unsupervised access (and you know they have, because they've asked your permission) is asking for trouble.

Probably why the owning and displaying of genuine Samurai swords as ornaments can now be considered illegal.

Some of the older ones are really beautiful, even if they were designed for beheading. They also cost a fortune !!
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
User avatar
jhopgood
Button Grecian
Posts: 1884
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2004 6:26 pm
Real Name: John Hopgood
Location: Benimeli, Alicante

Re: RICHARD "Killer" FRY RIP

Post by jhopgood »

https://paradata.org.uk/articles/person ... c-normandy

https://paradata.org.uk/images/richard- ... nneur-2016

For those interested.
A junior school friend, (who failed CH), went on the memorial drop (Normandy DZ-K) in June 2010
Barnes B 25 (59 - 66)
sejintenej
Button Grecian
Posts: 4092
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2005 12:19 pm
Real Name: David Brown ColA '52-'61
Location: Essex

Re: RICHARD "Killer" FRY RIP

Post by sejintenej »

This page includ es a link to Richard N Fry (same person) which gives a broader brush account of his military service plus the citation for his Military Cross.

I see that he also served in Palestine until the end; did he ever talk about that? The reason is that my adopted brother (Lt T H Bevan, Welsh Guards) served there at the same time but didn't say much repeatable here about it
What happens if a politician drowns in a river? That is pollution.
What happens if all of them drown? That is solution!!!
michael scuffil
Button Grecian
Posts: 1612
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 12:53 pm
Real Name: michael scuffil
Location: germany

Re: RICHARD "Killer" FRY RIP

Post by michael scuffil »

There was an obit in The Times yesterday (15 Oct 2016).

It tells a story which I hadn't heard before, namely of extracting six teenagers from a crashed car (one of whom died). Had anyone heard about this?

He was 92.
Th.B. 27 1955-63
User avatar
LongGone
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 383
Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2008 4:17 pm
Real Name: Mike Adams
Location: New England

Re: RICHARD "Killer" FRY RIP

Post by LongGone »

michael scuffil wrote: He was 92.

Another way I hope to emulate him!
If a stone falls on an egg: alas for the egg
If an egg falls on a stone: alas for the egg
User avatar
postwarblue
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 409
Joined: Mon May 21, 2007 12:12 pm
Real Name: Robert Griffiths
Location: Havant

Re: RICHARD "Killer" FRY RIP

Post by postwarblue »

After my time but by a bizarre coincidence I was sitting next to a bod at a recent presentation who turned out to be an OB. He was in Lamb A in the 60s and his main recollection of Fry was that he was called 'Killer' because he was such a hard beater.
'Oh blest retirement, friend to life's decline'
Goatherd
LE (Little Erasmus)
Posts: 74
Joined: Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:53 pm
Real Name: Bill Harwood
Location: France

Re: RICHARD "Killer" FRY RIP

Post by Goatherd »

To be fair; I was there in the 60's, but not in Lamb A. But we were always led to believe that he was called 'Killer' because of his war record.
Goatherd
Post Reply