Farran, Roy Alexander 1921-2006

PERSONAL:

Born January 2, 1921, in Purley, Surrey, England (some sources cite birthplace as India); died June 2 (some sources cite June 1), 2006; father a British Air Force officer; married Ruth Ardern, 1950 (died, 2005); children: two sons, two daughters. Education: Attended Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

CAREER:

Worked for Keir & Cawder Ltd. at a quarry near Glasgow, Scotland, after World War II; Keir & Cawder (Rhodesia) Ltd. (construction company), managing director; Calgary Herald, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, journalist, 1950-54; North Hill News, Calgary, founder and publisher, 1954-73; Calgary Herald, journalist, 1979-88; dairy farmer in Alberta. Conservative candidate for British Parliament, 1949; Calgary City Council, alderman, 1961-71; Province of Alberta, Progressive Conservative member of legislature, then minister of utilities and telephones, 1972-75, solicitor general, 1975-79; Alberta Racing Commission, chair, beginning 1979. University of Alberta, visiting professor of political science, 1984-89; Farran Foundation (French-Canadian student exchange foundation), founder. Military service: British Army, Dragoon Guards, King's Own Hussars, and Special Air Service, 1940-48, German prisoner of war, 1941, instructor at military academy in Sandhurst, then attached to Palestine Police, where he was tried for murder and eventually acquitted; also served in Africa, Greece, Italy, France, and Syria; became major.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Military decorations include Distinguished Service Order and Military Cross with two bars, French Croix de Guerre, and U.S. Legion of Merit. Civilian honors include French Legion of Honor, 1994.

WRITINGS:

NONFICTION

Winged Dagger: Adventures on Special Service, Collins (London, England), 1948, Sterling Publishing (New York, NY), 1986.

Jungle Chase, Collins (London, England), 1951.

The History of the Calgary Highlanders, 1921-54, Bryant Press (Canada), 1954.

The Day after Tomorrow, Collins (London, England), 1956.

The Search, 1958.

Operation Tombola, Collins (London, England), 1960, Sterling Publishing (New York, NY), 1986.

Never Had a Chance, Bles (London, England), 1967.

Columnist for Edmonton Journal.

OBITUARIES:

PERIODICALS

Guardian, June 12, 2006, obituary by Diana Condell. London Telegraph, June 5, 2006.

Times (London, England), June 6, 2006.