Barry Chadbourn (Chad) was born in Alfreton, Derbyshire on 7th August 1942.
Chad joined the Royal Marines on 7th Jan 1959 as a driver and served with Commando 40, 41 and 45 units and in 1965 was presented with his GSM with clasp for Borneo. He was later presented with clasps for the Malay Peninsula and Aden.
In 1969 he joined the grooms branch, going from a marine to a Colour Sergeant Corps’ Head Groom in charge of six stables from Scotland to Poole, Dorset over a period of 14 years. He also competed at the Royal Windsor Horse Show and the Royal Tournament at Earls Court for many years as well as in Europe.
Barry Chadbourn (7th Aug 1942 to 4th Aug 2013)
His first love though was sailing; 1980 marked his first Atlantic crossing as watch leader aboard HMSTC Chaser, a 55ft sailing vessel. In 1981 he sailed from Bermuda to Plymouth on the 77ft Great Britain II, which was later re-named “Drum” by the then owner Simon Le Bon. In 1984, again as watch leader, he sailed from Las Palmas to Bermuda on HMSTC Dasher.
He led a very varied life and enjoyed every minute of his three loves; sailing, horses and then golf. When he left the marines in 1986 he was 2 inches taller and his chest nearly some 5½ inches bigger, and he was as fit as a fiddle.
He bought his own 9 metre catamaran which he lived on for a while with wife Trudy, sailing around the channel across to the Isle of Wight before taking it down to Exmouth and all the way on to Gibraltar. In 1988 they moved to Competa, Spain where they lived for 16 years before coming to Thailand for a golfing holiday in 2000 and eventually moving here in 2005.
Rest in Peace Chad, we’ll miss you at the bar, especially on a Sunday for that glass of red and biscuits & cheese but rest assured, we will continue the tradition in your memory – Jack.
