FRIENDS and family of Colonel Norman Dodd will pay tribute to the distinguished former serviceman at a ceremony at All Saints Church on Monday Col Dodd, born in Stafford in 1917, dreamed of becoming a soldier from the age of 10.

FRIENDS and family of Colonel Norman Dodd will pay tribute to the distinguished former serviceman at a ceremony at All Saints Church on MondayCol Dodd, born in Stafford in 1917, dreamed of becoming a soldier from the age of 10. He joined the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich in 1935, after his father was advised by his son's headmaster that if he was not allowed to join the army he would run away and join anyway.His first venture abroad with the Royal Artillery was to India in September 1937, where he remained until he was posted to Egypt in 1939, the year he met wife of 58 years Eileen, a nurse more than 10 years his senior.Whilst on leave from service in Africa in 1942, he married Eileen in South Africa.After seven years of overseas service, he returned to the UK, became a major, and was mentioned in dispatches.After serving in India and Burma, he was promoted to acting lieutenant colonel in the UK in 1945. An offer of promotion convinced him to remain in services in 1958, and promotion to senior British liaison officer to the US Army, in Heidelberg, followed in 1960.In 1962 he served as a lieutenant colonel in Norway, and was convinced once again to remain in service in 1964 when he was promoted to colonel and became British defence intelligence liaison officer to the US forces.He retired to Devon in 1970, where he contributed to more than 30 publications and was invited to speak at exhibitions all over the world. He moved to Sidmouth in 1980 and was president of the Royal British Legion for 10 years.He passed away at Rose Lawn Care Home on December 17, and leaves a daughter, Maureen, who lives in America, and two grandchildren. A service of remembrance and reception will be held at All Saints Church on January 21 at 3pm.