Private Jack "Nippy" Gannon

[tripletmummy]

Im researching about my Great Uncle Jack nippy Gannon who served in the manchester regiment. At the time of his retirement he was the longest serving private in the british army and in his later years of service was the mess silverman. He was a real character. Be interested to know if any one had any stories about him.

[Robert Bonner]

How very good to hear from you. 'Nippy' Gannon was without doubt the most respected and trusted soldier in the Manchesters.  Known and admired by generations of his officers.  He retired after 37 years service with a bar to his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. He had been the Regimental Silverman for many years, probably since Dunham Park and was responsible post-war for the care of the officer's mess silver in Wuppertal, Berlin, Minden and Malaya.

During his last two years of service the officers voted him a daily ration of two bottles of ale for the rest of his service as a token of their respect. Very sadly he seemed to disappear off the regimental scene and has not been heard off for many years.

There is an excellent photo of Nippy in The Manchester Regiment.1945 - 1958 which shows him holding the recently acquired Rhine Army Shooting Shield in Minden in 1957.

Perhaps tripletmummy will tell us a little about his last days in retirement.

[george.theshed197]

Hello and welcome to Trippletmummy,
By golly that was fantastic surprise that met my eyes this afternoon - as Bob had just advised you all Nippy Gannon was a great character and very well admired by every one who ever had the pleasure of his company and his time in the in the Battalion and hopefully we will ALL hear more of his later days after he left the Regiment.
George.

[tripletmummy]

Hi thank you for replying and speaking so highly about my Uncle Jack or Nippy as he was to his army friends! Upon Jacks retirement he went to live with his sister Mary and brother in law Joe, my Grandparents. He led a quiet life really, taking himself off daily walking the dog, going for a few pints or making his own home brew (stronger than it should of been I might add)!!!! Jack died in September 1981.

[artyhughes]

Hello Caroline,I am so sorry to hear of the passing of nippy,I have often asked about him,I knew Nippy from the time I joined the 1st bn in 1948 until leaving the kings and manchester regiments in N Ireland in 1968,Nippy was still serving then as the officers mess silverman,Nippy was looked on as a father figure and fondly remembered by all those who had the pleasure to serve with him.When the battalion orderly sergeant was doing his rounds it was a point of duty to drop in on Nippy in his quarters in the officers mess,where you would be offered a Nippy special,this was rocket fuel.Nippy had a great friend in Paddy Downey they were inseperable,Paddy was discharged during our last tour of Berlin,I remember the demob party lasted 72 hours,Nippy saw off his best friend from Charlettenburg Station, Berlin,he was then brought back to barracks by the Mil police to recover,a great character and an excellent soldier

[george.theshed197]

Hi again Caroline,
Thanks to Roy naming  Paddy Downey - I spent hours last night trying to remember Jack's great friend yet another character and naturally that led me to think of ALL of the 'other such'  characters of the Regiment, definitely a night of memories for me. I will try to get a query re- some of those who joined us in Malaya from the 'Harry Lauders' around 1950/51 in a separate section later on.
It was great to know that Jack had maintained his own  'Home Brew - (deadly but one of the best I have ever tasted).
Yes indeed, many of our old crowd will well remember Paddy's Farewell party in Berlin.
Rest in Peace Nippy.
And thank you also for mentioning your late Gt Uncle and re-drawing those of us who knew him back to our attention - a great and well beloved  old Gentleman.
George.