Perth minister the Rev William Leng Glazebrook

A P E RT H - BA S E D minister who was the first cavalry officer to become an Air Corps pilot has died, aged 82.

The Rev William (Bill) Leng Glazebrook was the great-grandson of Sir William Leng, whose brother, Sir John Leng, founded the Dundee publishing business which bore his name.

Mr Glazebrook was born in London in 1929 and went on to have a distinguished military career.

As a member of the Household Cavalry, he guarded the coffin at the lying in state of King George VI in 1952.

He was seconded to the Army Air Corps and was the first cavalry officer to become a pilot.

He left the Household Cavalry as a major and after a spell in civilian life, served with the RoyalArmy Pay Corps, attached as Paymaster to the 11th Hussars, serving in Germany from 1965 to 1968.

Before leaving the army altogether in 1974 after becoming a lieutenantcolonel, he had returned to the UK to assist in the computerisation of army payroll.

Mr Glazebrook’s postmilitary life saw him enter Theological College in Edinburgh and he was ordained as a non-stipendiary priest into the Scottish Episcopal Church.

His first post was at St James’s Episcopal Church, Dollar, before a move to All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Glencarse, where he also served as a temporary chaplain at Glenalmond School and Episcopal chaplain to Perth Prison.

He served for seven years in the diocese of Oxford, where he was vicar of seven churches and honorary chaplain to The Worshipful Company of Saddlers.

Mr Glazebrook’s life was touched by tragedy when his son Robert, who had followed his father into the army, died in November 1976 while serving with the Royal Hussars in Northern Ireland.

In 1994, he retired to Perth, continuing his ministry in the dioceses of St Andrews and Brechin until his health intervened.

He is survived by his wife, Diana, to whom he had been married for 60 years, his daughter Mary Blake and his grandsons, Alexander, James and Andrew.

A service of thanksgiving will be held at St John’s Episcopal Church, Princes Street, Perth, onWednesday at 2.30pm.