Colonel Anthony Kimber has spent a lifetime serving others, both in uniform and in the community. From a distinguished Army career to his continuing commitment to local organisations and the people of Rye, he brings a wealth of experience, quiet leadership and a deep appreciation of history. But beyond the medals, military discipline and public service is the man himself. In this edition of Three Degrees of Curiosity, we discover the person behind the title through some revealing and sometimes unexpected answers.
Over to you, Anthony.
You’ve worn many hats in your life. Which three roles have given you the greatest sense of purpose, and why?
I do have a wardrobe full of hats. I spent all my working life in the military and have been fortunate to have had some great and varied postings, from Singapore at the end of colonial times to Germany, UK and Cyprus. In addition, I have travelled widely, including to the Middle East, USA and after1989, Eastern Europe.
One standout as a young man was to be given command of a rifle platoon of 25 infantrymen on operations, which was exhilarating.
This piece is too short to cover my service but my final tour as a regular serviceman was as Defence and Military Attaché in Budapest, which has to be one of the most enjoyable and satisfying. We were there when Hungary sought to join NATO and when the Balkans wars raged next door. This affected all our work and importantly, at the end of a long career, meant that there was little time for complacency.
Unusually, both Elizabeth and I were trained together, including language, for the post and then deployed as a team, which was really special. Along the way we developed lots of skills including the ability to drive a range of vehicles including Soviet T72 tanks. In the present global security climate, you never know when Rye might need us to do that! I should emphasise that Elizabeth has been with me throughout and has contributed to everything that I have done.
I retired from the regular forces within days of the 9/11 attack. Immediately afterwards, the MOD recruited a number of newly retired colonels to operate across the country to link military aid to the civil authorities in the event of a major emergency. I was selected to cover Kent, Surrey and Sussex. There followed a very interesting five years covering threats such as chemical and suicide bomber attacks against critical infrastructure in the Southeast, including Gatwick, the Channel Tunnel, fast rail link and one-off events such as the big party conferences in Brighton. There were also contingencies for the firemen’s strike of the early 2000s, the floods of 2007 and foot and mouth outbreak in 2007. All these events involved military support to the police, which I coordinated. Finally, in my last weeks, I was asked by the chief constable of Kent to provide military support to the security operation at a Kent location, for the final Northern Ireland talks. Being scrutinised by the Ulster party leaders brought me back to where I had started my military career!
Looking back over your military career, what are three lessons from the Army that have stayed with you throughout your life?
The military promotes lifelong learning. I calculated that I have completed some 40 specialist courses during my service, from jungle warfare to MSc and PhD. Separately we learnt to ski, ride and sail. Individual learning and preparation must be one of the lessons.
Integrity and leading by example are fundamental to the armed services. The military remains unique in that serious errors are not tolerated and can mean a rapid invitation to resign.
As a young officer we were drilled to provide accurate briefings and reports, which remains with me today. Warfare requires communication, communication and communication.
Rye means a great deal to you. What are three things that make this town so special?
There is a wonderful and varied mix of people in Rye. Like us, many are “incomers” and bring worldly experience to the community. I have tackled several community projects in the last 20 plus years and have been delighted to find like-minded people with skills who have been prepared to contribute. In addition to work on local resilience, Rye Art Gallery, the Heritage Centre and the Friends of St Mary’s, three recent examples are the efforts to provide Mutual Aid to hundreds of vulnerable people in the early stages of Covid. Then in 2021 we established the NHS-approved vaccination centre, which delivered 65,000 Covid jabs over three years. NHS England said that few communities could do that. In 2022, I helped Rother District set up the Homes for Ukraine scheme, which continues today. This maintains Rye’s long tradition of welcoming refugees and goes way back to when Huguenots came in the 1560s.
For a small community there is always a lot going on. There are over 50 voluntary groups providing everything from photography to heritage, arts and gardening. It would be possible to draw a Venn diagram of interests and activities with many of the same people volunteering in the centre. These people keep Rye ticking.
Rye has a unique character. Those who live here know it and many of the one million or so annual visitors also think so. One of the reasons that I became involved in the Neighbourhood Plan is that it is so important to maintain a community influence over how Rye develops. If we do not, then the developers certainly will.
What are three qualities that make a good leader, whether in the Army or in civilian life?
Throughout my career I was constantly reminded: to lead by example and with integrity; not to assume to know everything but consult someone who does; and make sure you take people with you: communicate!
If you could secure three lasting improvements for Rye over the next decade, what would they be?
This is easy, as there are many more than three in the Rye Neighbourhood Plan!
If you were marooned on a desert island, what three luxuries would you insist on taking?
I have been marooned on a desert island. As a young officer in Singapore I was taken by boat with a party of soldiers to go survival training on the remote island of Tioman many miles off Mersing in the then Malaya. It was occupied by a few fishermen and had been used as a set for part of the 1950s musical South Pacific. As I was fresh from a jungle warfare course, I had learnt that the most important item to carry was a bushcraft knife. I would definitely need one of those.
We had special kits to purify water; one of those would be vital.
I have a broad taste in music. When in Singapore we had ready access to early consumer electronics; I remember that Sanyo was quite popular. At the recent St Mary’s church fair, from a stall being run by Family Breeds, I bought a small pink Sanyo tape player of the very type that I remember. I would take that and some tapes with some batteries or a hand charger.
What are three things that still make you laugh out loud?
The military is noted for its dark – Black Adder style – humour. While much would not necessarily be appreciated or even tolerated in civilian life, humour enables soldiers to get through dark times. I do smile when I think of the many things that sergeant majors have said to soldiers when the going was hard.
If you had to tell your grandchildren just three life lessons, what would they be?
I have told my grandson that the most important lesson is to take all opportunities as they arise. I have missed several, which I regret. I would have loved to have flown helicopters but the opportunity came at a time when there were other demands.
Further, it is important to listen and learn; experience is everything.
Lastly, no matter how you feel, always be confident and be kind.
Image Credits: Kt bruce , kt bruce , Anthony Kimber .