Paddy Fox

William Francis "Paddy" Fox BEM (3 September 1933 – 9 January 2016) was a British Army recruiter and Chelsea Pensioner. He served as a radio operator in the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars from 1951. With a brief period as a court usher from 1956 to 1958, Fox remained in the army until 1988. In 1968 he became a recruiter, based in Horden near Peterlee in County Durham. By the end of his career he had recruited 2,000 men to his regiment, becoming the British Army's most successful recruiting sergeant.

Fox received the British Empire Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal. In retirement Fox found employment as an usher in the Peterlee magistrates court. Suffering from poor health in later life, he entered the Royal Hospital Chelsea in 2001. He worked there as a tour guide while also maintaining allotments and helping with the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal. In 2010, as part of the hospital's Men in Scarlet act, he sang on a music album. He died in 2016.

Early life and career

Fox, who was always known as "Paddy", was born at a racing stables near Clonmel, County Tipperary, in the Irish Free State on 3 September 1933. Fox had eleven siblings and his family was poor. Later in his career he served as a radio instructor, a nuclear, biological and chemical warfare instructor and flew in Saunders-Roe Skeeter helicopters. In a twenty-year period he had recruited 2,000 men to his regiment, becoming the army's most successful recruiting sergeant. He also had an Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal and bar.

Fox died on 9 January 2016. His funeral was held at the hospital on 28 January and a memorial service, led by the former mayor of Peterlee, was held at St Cuthbert's Church on 13 February.