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John Brian Gillow OBE
Late Irish Guards
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 Brian Gillow was born on Christmas Day, 1927 in Bowden, Cheshire, the youngest of four brothers, all educated at Ampleforth. Brian joined the Irish Guards from school in 1945, following in the footsteps of his oldest brother, Harry, who had been killed in action at Anzio in January 1944. He fondly recalled Sergeant Ogden’s squad at Pirbright and his time at Sandhurst. After public duties in London he served with 1st Battalion Irish Guards in Palestine, where he was Mentioned in Dispatches.
On returning to England, and civilian life, he took up farming in Shropshire. In 1953 he married Helen Barnett and they had two sons and four grandchildren. Brian was active in local politics and was Chairman of the North Shropshire Conservative Association. He was elected a County Councillor in 1981 and became Chairman of Shropshire County Council in 2005. Brian served his community through six decades, on school and college governing bodies, the police authority, the British Legion, as an active committee member, and by helping individuals in his constituency. He became an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2010.
Brian served as Vice Chairman (1956-76) and Chairman (1976-2001) of the North of England Branch of the Old Comrades Association. In 2000, he marched with the Regiment when it received the freedom of the City of Liverpool. He was very fond of the Regiment, following its deployments and duties with great interest. He attended every Quis dinner until 2015, increasingly amused at finding himself on Table One alongside the older and/or more venerable members of the Club. He was invariably sensitive to the needs of others and placed a high value on service and duty. A typical comment from a fellow Mick was that he was ‘a well-liked and respected gentleman and always had time for everyone’. He died, peacefully at home, on 21st March 2016. Quis Separabit
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