Tributes to Donald Wallace, 92, who lived in Watford

Donald Wallace, of Dellfield Close, Watford, lived a remarkable life – surviving the D-Day bombings during the Second World War and later becoming a church minister for the RAF.

The grandfather-of-three was on his way home from a routine hospital appointment on his treasured bike when he clipped the kerb and broke his ribs.

Donald loved his motorbike 

He died on May 9, two weeks after the crash on April 23.

He leaves behind his wife, Betty, children, Duncan and Fiona and grandchildren, Stephanie, 24, Ben, 36 and Rosie, 34.

Fiona said: “You could never tell my dad what to do. He was a very adventurous man and always a very determined man.

“He was very active, so the fact that he didn’t linger on was the best outcome.”

On his treasured bike in his early years

He was born in Edinburgh and joined the Navy aged 17, where his job was to listen for U-boats during the Battle of the Atlantic.

He was awarded the Arctic Star for his service in the Arctic convoys, and 70 years later was given a Ushakov medal from Russia for transporting crucial supplies in sub-zero temperatures.

After the war, accompanied by his faithful German Shepherd Mr Beau, he studied theology at St Andrew’s University and joined the RAF Force as a chaplain.

One of his first posting’s took him to Kenya, where his wide-flung parish covered Uganda and Tanganyika.

The war veteran won countless medals

But fearful to his mother’s reaction to snapshots of bare-breasted villagers, he dutifully inked in bikin tops throughout his photo albums.

During this time, he was a member of the host retinue for the then Princess Elizabeth’s visit to Kenya, during which she received news of her father’s passing and accession to the throne.

The Mau Mau uprising turned an adventurous posting into a challenging responsibility as his role was to tend to the spiritual needs of a dispersed congregation under the shadow of violence.

But the story of how he met his wife, Betty, is an extraordinary one.

It was in Aden, on the gang plank of the troopship that was to take him home to the UK, that he met a young Betty Clapp, who was on her way home from a trip to Singapore.

They made friends, but she was engaged to another man so they said their goodbyes at the port in Southampton.

When her engagement broke down the following year, she went to Spain to mend her broken heart.

It was on the beach that she happened to stumble upon Donald – and the couple were engaged a mere three days later.

His job took them all across the world, from Germany to Cyprus and Shropshire to Lincolnshire, before they eventually settled down in Watford.

In 1977 Donald was appointed Honorary Chaplain to the Queen and subsequently wore the associated red cassock when preaching or on official duty.

He loved boxing and scuba diving and became president of the RAF’s Sub Aqua Association and chairman of the Combined Services Boxing Association.

Upon his retirement at the age of 55, he became director and chaplain of the Royal Caledonian School and life managing governor of the Royal Scottish Corporation.

He also began an association with Parmiter’s School in Watford as Honorary Chaplain, chairman of the board of governors and chairman of the Thomas Parmiter Foundation.

Donald opening the maths block at Parmiter's School

In 2004 he was “surprised and honoured” to have the school’s new cricket pavilion named after him.

His family have fond memories of him at the Scottish Banker’s dinner every year for Burns Night, where he was famed for slicing the tops off flaming candles during his recitals.

Donald during Burns Night

He also gave time to St Andrew’s church, the Watford Conservatives and the Watford and West Herts Scottish Society.

Fiona added: “I will always remember my dad telling jokes, making puns and laughing. He enjoyed socialising and was a proper bon viveur.

“He loved a glass of merlot. He was a wonderful man, full of adventure and interest.”

Son Duncan added: “He was a man of boundless enthusiasm for life and irrepressible humour, he touched the hearts of many during his long, full life.”