Dave Peaks [SDWS Historian]
The original committe of the SDWS was:
- President - Jim Rousell
- Vice President - Pete Palmer
- Treasurer - Brian Unsworth
- Secretary - Dave Peaks
Founding members are:
- Mick Conway
- Malc Bryan
- Rod Harris
- Gavin Greenwood
- Dave Ovens
Having laid dormant since the 1960s, the SDWS was reformed in a public house in Haxby near York in 1987. The public house was, by chance rather than design, called “The Tiger”. Present at this gathering were, Mick Conway, Brian Unsworth,, Dave Wakelam, Colin Jones and Dave Peaks. There followed an evening of great nostalgia and hilarity as, in true Arabian Nights fashion, enthralling and unbelievable tales of Singapore were dredged from the memory banks. Names not heard of for many years were thrust into the conversation. Ayer Rajah Road, Bugis Street, Tanglin, Hotel Singapura, Hotel Princess Garni, Orchard Road, Zam Zams, the Britannia Club, Johore Bahru, the Anopheles Inn – the mention of each prompted even more outrageous memories. The general consensus was that we had been extremely fortunate that we had:
- Been in the Right place (Singapore and Malaya)
- At the Right time (the 1960s)
- And, most importantly, with the Right people
It was therefore decided that the SDWS must be reformed, and all the stops were pulled out to try and locate as many as possible of those who had served in Singapore, Malaya and Borneo in the 1960s.
The result was the first SDWS Reunion weekend, held in York in 1988, and organised by Dave Wakelam and Dave Peaks.
The success of the first reunion prompted a return event in London in 1989, organised by Dougie Langham.
There then followed a gap of 5 years whilst the society waited for someone brave enough to take on the arduous task of bringing the SDWS members, now spread far a field, together again. The challenge was accepted by Mick Conway and Dave Wakelam, who have continued to organise sparkling events, attracting ever greater numbers; see Match Reports.
It is thanks to their hard work and dedication that the SDWS goes from strength to strength and is the envy of all those Intelligence Corps personnel who, dejectedly, fail to qualify for attendance.
