OE News - Leavers 1977

Lieutenant-Colonel Richard van der Horst, OBE

21/09/1966 - 14/03/2005

We were sorry to hear of the death of old boy Richard van der Horst, the commanding officer of the Royal Marines Special Boat Service (SBS), while on amphibious exercise in Norway.

When he left Edgeborough he went on to Sherborne then Birmingham University where he graduated in biological science.  He was appointed to 45 Commando in 1998 and served in Northern Ireland and on exercises in Norway and the Caribbean.  He was selected for the special forces in 1991and in 2000 helped to plan the successful operation to liberate six British infantry soldiers kidnapped during UN peacekeeping operations in Sierra Leone. He worked with General Tommy Franks' staff and accompanied them to Qatar as deputy director of operations to the commander of the coalition special forces.  As such he went all the way to Baghdad and was subsequently awarded an OBE.  He was appointed chief of staff of 3 Commando Brigade then took command of the SBS in November 2004.  It was while on exercise with the SBS that he died after a diving accident.  He is survived by his wife of ten years, Belinda and their two daughters.