WILLIAMS, Edward Jeffery Leading Canadian Military historian and champion of the nation's war veterans dies in England. Lieutenant-Colonel (Retd) Edward Jeffery Williams, award-winning author of books on Canadian military history, died peacefully at the age of 91 on 5 April 2011 in his home in Ilminster, Somerset, England. Jeff Williams had lived in the United Kingdom since serving as Senior Canadian Forces Intelligence Liaison Officer in London from September 1966. In retirement he turned to journalism and writing Canadian military history, winning the Governor General's Literary Award for his biography of Viscount Byng of Vimy in 1983. Throughout these years as a council member of the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League he worked tirelessly on behalf of Canadian veterans who had served overseas. Committed to the remembrance of those who fell in battle during the Second World War and it was his initiative that led to the creation of the Canada Memorial erected in Green Park in London in June 1994. In 2002, he was appointed to the Order of Canada for his services to veterans. Williams was born in Calgary, Alberta on 16 January 1920. After attending local schools, he joined the Calgary Highlanders in 1937. His early military career included service as an infantryman in England and Northwest Europe with the Calgary Highlanders (1939 to 1945) and as staff officer, National Defence Headquarters (1946 to 1951). He was awarded the United States Bronze Star with 'V' Device for his command of a company in the Korean War, when he also served as second-in-command of the 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Following a year at the United States Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia, Williams conducted negotiations for the agreement between Canada and the United States on the exchange of military atomic information while he was Secretary of the Canadian Joint Staff in Washington, DC (1953 to 1956). He then served as Chief of Staff for the 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade in Germany (1956 to 1959). Returning to Canada in 1959, he held various military posts in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Ottawa and Kingston, Ontario. He was on the faculty of the National Defence College in Kingston in 1966 when he was appointed to the intelligence post in London. After retiring from the Forces in 1970, Williams devoted himself to veterans' affairs and writing military history. He published Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in 1972, followed by Byng of Vimy - General and Governor-General in 1983. It won the Canadian Biography Award and the Governor-General's Literary Award for non-fiction. Williams' account of the First Canadian Army's operations in World War II in Europe appeared as The Long Left Flank in 1988. A biography of the founder of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, First in the Field - Gault of the Patricia's, followed in 1995. After researching and editing Polo, The Galloping Game - A History of Polo in the Canadian West (2001), he wrote Far from Home: A Memoir of a 20th Century Soldier (2003). This personal account of brushes with diplomats, politicians, royalty and leaders of commerce and industry traced the events of the second half of the 20th century through a prism of the growing independence of Canadian defence and foreign policy. Through his memoir runs the thread of his family life and its influence on his service to his country. Williams's much loved wife, Irina Fredericka Edney, was born in China in 1925. She was beautiful, stylish and elegant. Married in Victoria in 1946, she sadly predeceased him in 2004. Afterwards he found great happiness in the love of Els Evers, who died in 2009. He is survived by three children Stephanie, Roderick and Susan, five grandchildren Sarah, Sam, Christopher, Tonia and Victoria. A private family funeral will be followed by a Memorial Service at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, 5 July, 2011 at The Minster, Ilminster, Somerset, England. No flowers please, but if desired, donations to www.helpforheroes.org.uk or www.ppclifoundation.ca . All inquiries to A J Wakely & Sons, 01460-52576. For further information please contact Stephanie Knight on +44 207.226.6581 Email: stephanie.knight@btinternet.com