Part 2 (Obituaries) - King's College - University of Cambridge

192
OBITUARIES
attached to the US 18 Airborne Division to help establish the military
government in occupied Germany. He was now thrust into a situation of
great responsibility in the face of which he mustered a great calm and levelheadedness.
After this experience he would more than ever be able to meet
adversity and difficult situations with a philosophical serenity and a healthy
dose of humour.
For Basil, engagement in the local community came naturally, both before
and after his time in Germany. It was especially towards the latter part of his
life that Basil devoted himself more and more to helping his fellows and
assuming public positions. He was made Deputy Lieutenant of Kingstonupon-Hull
and the East Riding in 1961 and served between 1971 and 1972
as Sheriff of Hull. Something Basil enjoyed in particular was his work with
the University of Hull where he had begun as a member of the University
Council in 1950. In 1971 he was made Chairman of the Council and served
as such for nine years. Basil had the honour, in 1967, of being made
honorary Doctor of Law by the University. He became known as an
approachable man who, with sensitivity and friendliness, focused on
building bridges between people and ideas rather than using his position as
a platform for any personal ambition.
Basil wrote and published historical studies, biographies and two novels.There
was also a wealth of writing that was only circulated privately within the
family. Diary writing held a special significance for Basil, and he even
published his diaries from the war. In his autobiography he wrote about the
importance of keeping a diary, stating that it was a duty to the coming
generations. That sense of obligation gracefully accepted was in many ways
characteristic of Basil.And when a task had been accepted and a goal had been
set, it was pursued with rigour and method. Such meticulousness could be
somewhat infuriating in domestic situations, but Basil was lucky to be
surrounded by many devoted women throughout his life. He marriedVirginia
in 1928 and together they had three daughters. Virginia died suddenly in
1961, and in 1966 Basil married Mary, who survives him. Mary brought with
her three daughters into the marriage so Basil’s family was in the end to be a
large one, in which he took great pride.