We bid a fond farewell to Nyewood's most celebrated resident, who will be sadly missed

Albert Bleach MBE 17 Jan. 1920 – 19 Dec. 2018

Bert Bleach, Nyewood’s most celebrated resident and one of the last surviving veterans of the Second World War in the area, died in the QA Hospital on 19 December after a short illness.

Bert’s parents grew up in parish and he was born here in January 1920. His working life started at the age of 14 looking after horses at the Sandhill Farm. Aged 16, he got a job at the Nyewood Sawmill and worked there until he was called up in 1939.

Bert had an active war with the Royal Regiment. He was evacuated from the beach at Dunkirk in June 1940 and was present as the Battle of El Alamein which began in October 1942. He spent much of the rest of the war in Egypt and the Middle East. After the war, Bert returned to Nyewood and worked at the sawmill until its closure in the late 1960s.

Bert and Helen married soon after his demob and lived in one of the cottages at the Old Brickyard until they were able to buy Roseleigh in 1950. They lived there together until Helen died in March 2015.

Bert was a special constable with the Police for 20 years, a founder member of British Legion and a bellringer at St Bartholomew’s Church, Rogate for 60 years. He became a member of The Henry Warren Village Club, Nyewood in 1934 and over the years served as Secretary, Treasurer and President.

Bert Bleach was awarded the MBE for services to the community in the 2013 New Year's Honours List and he remembered receiving the award from Her Majesty The Queen at Windsor Castle, with his family present, as one of the outstanding moments of his life.

Bert's cremation will take place on Saturday 19 January at 10.15 am at the Crematorium. A Memorial Service will be held at St. Bartholomew's Church, Rogate at 2.00 pm on the same Saturday, 19 January 2019 - just two days after what would have been Bert's 99th Birthday.

Pictured left: Bert with Helen, celebrating her planting of an oak tree on Furze Meadow to mark HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 Pictured right: Bert receiving a presentation to mark his work for the club from a relation to Commander Henry Warren R.N. in 2011