The Association has learned of the death of Lt Cdr Martin S Boissier.
Martin Boissier Remembered
Memories compiled by: Susan Boissier Photo: Steve Hyde
Martin Scobell Boissier will be remembered as representing the very best of his generation; a man who served his King, Queen, country and county of Derby.
Born at number four Vernon Street, Derby, Martin was the second son of Ernest Gabriel Boissier and his wife Doris. Their third son, Roger, like Martin, became a High Sheriff of Derbyshire. The Boissier family is notable in that three of the family became High Sheriffs of the county, as Martin’s wife Margaret also served as High Sheriff in 2000.
Martin knew from the age of seven that he wanted to join the Navy, so after having attended prep school at Bramcote in Scarborough, he entered the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in January 1940. His first assignment was as a midshipman aboard HMS Birmingham which was deployed to Greenock to collect £2m worth of gold for onward transportation to Alexandria. He went on to serve on HMS Isis on mid-Atlantic convoy duties and was on board HMS Orion as an 18 year old on D-Day, 6 June 1944 as part of Operation Overlord off the Normandy beaches, where he saw his eldest brother John aboard his Motor Torpedo Boat which sped by, close enough for them to recognise each other (through another coincidence that day, both John and Martin also saw their cousin Peter, a Lieutenant serving in HMS Jervis).
Tragically John was killed on 13 May 1945, when the mine sweeper MGB 2002 on which he was serving struck a mine in the Skaggerak, with all but two on board being killed. The tragedy was further compounded when Doris Boissier suffered another shock; a few days after hearing that her eldest son had been killed, she came across two severely wounded sailors lying in Derbyshire Royal Infirmary where she did voluntary work. They were the two survivors of MGB 2002.
In 1947 Martin qualified as a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm and saw service on four aircraft carriers, Triumph, Thesis, Ocean and Eagle. He was part of the 810 squadron that provided ground support for the army during the Korean War. In 1955, urged on by his mother ‘to get on with it’, he married Margaret, the daughter of a family friend and local GP. Not long after they were married, Martin was stationed out in Malta where Margaret joined him for six months. In 1958 he finally retired from the Fleet Air Arm with the rank of Lieutenant Commander and entered civilian business life in Derby. By the end of his naval career, Martin had undertaken 366 deck landings, flown 1,961 hours fixed wing single aircraft, 250 hours twin-engined aircraft and 50 hours in helicopters – the types of aircraft flown included the Tiger Moth, Harvard 2B & 3, Firefly I, 4, 5 & 6, Oxford, Sea Fury, Sea Balliol and Gannet, and a Heller helicopter.
Martin joined Aiton & Co. Ltd in Derby which his father, an electrical engineer, had helped to build up alongside Sir Arthur Aiton and where his brother Roger was later Managing Director. Martin was promoted to Personnel Director in 1976 and when Aitons became part of the Whessoe Group, became Group Personnel Controller in 1980. This required him to stay several nights a week in Darlington where to occupy himself whilst away from home, he took up ‘tatting’ again having originally taken it up whilst in the navy. Many of his needlework creations were entered into the Turnditch & Windley show and he often won first prize.
His local business life included directorships at Silkolene in Belper, ATV (Midlands) and Central TV Eastern Region. He served as chairman of the Derbyshire FHSA, of both the Derby and Derbyshire Chambers of Commerce, the Derby Lifeboat committee, the Derby Sea Cadets, Derbyshire District Manpower committee and the Arkwright Society. He was President of the Derby Royal School of the Deaf and of the Derby and District Engineering Employers Federation. In 1977 he became a Deputy Lieutenant and deputy Chairman of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Appeal. In 1978 he served as High Sheriff and as Vice Lord Lieutenant from 1992 – 2001 during which time many royal visits were made to the county.
A great family man, Martin was a born raconteur, always with amusing tales to tell, had a twinkle in his eye and was generous with his time to those who asked for his advice. His mantra was always to treat others as one would wish to be treated and he enjoyed talking to anyone and everyone from all generations. He was widely read, loved art and history and from the time he had first heard Beniamino Gigli singing at the opera house in Naples in 1944, had a huge interest in opera and music. A keen cricket fan, Martin was a member of Lord’s for many years, and was renowned for hosting a large picnic party on the Nursery Lawn – complete with a choice of Port or Madeira. He even introduced Debo, Duchess of Devonshire to Madeira when she popped round to lunch one day – she wrote later to say she had never ever tasted it before and by then she was in her 80’s. He adored his garden in Idridgehay where he took great pride in his camellias – often competing with Andrew, Duke of Devonshire at various county shows – and had an extensive wine cellar!
A true Englishman
Derby-born with a French surname that could be directly traced back to a Huguenot French family who reached England in 1740 by way of Geneva, Gaspard Boissier having originally fled to Geneva at the time of the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685.
Martin passed away on 16th April through complications attributed to coronavirus at the age of 93, on what was his 65th wedding anniversary and one month short of his 94th birthday. He leaves behind his wife Margaret, daughter Susan, son John, and three grandchildren, Hannah, Sophie and James.
(V2)