Published on 1st January 2026

Crawford served in the Army for two decades before spending 28 years as a Beefeater, living at the Tower of London. Today, he lives in Horsham with wife Linda and continues to raise funds for the Royal British Legion. He tells his story to AAH…

I was born in Dunfermline, Fife in 1949. My father Henry fought throughout the Second World War with Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment). He served in Europe before the evacuation at Dunkirk, then in the North Africa Campaign. He was captured at Monte Cassino and imprisoned in Rome until he was liberated by American troops. He continued to fight as the Allies pushed towards Germany, before returning home to my mother, who had worked in a munitions factory. 

I was the second of four children and was an active boy, always playing sports. I left school with five O-levels. My father didn’t want me to follow him down the mines, so I joined the Army at the age of 15. I wanted to join the Royal Scots Greys - a tank regiment – but as I had good grades was instead sent to the Army Foundation College at Harrogate to train as a radio technician. It wasn’t for me, but luckily an officer from the 10th Royal Hussars invited me to join the cavalry. 

I was stationed in Munster, Germany in 1969 as part of the British Forces on the Rhine, only months before the 10th Hussars amalgamated with the 11th to become the Royal Hussars. We operated tanks and other armoured vehicles on reconnaissance operations. During the Cold War, there was a lot of international tension, so we had to remain alert and be prepared for any Russian advancement.  

During this time, the best thing that happened to me was meeting my wife, Linda. There was an Army disco every Friday night in Warminster, close to our Tidworth Camp. Lyn was visiting her sister at the time, who was married to a soldier based at Warminster. I married Linda and we’ve been together for 53 years with two daughters, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. 

As well as serving in Germany, the Royal Hussars rotated duties with other regiments elsewhere. So, I carried out reconnaissance operations with the UN in Cyprus and did three tours in Northern Ireland, where we trained as infantry. I also served at Long Kesh near Lisburn, an internment camp for IRA prisoners, which was burned down in 1974. Having joined the regiment as a tank driver, I was promoted to Lance Corporal and then Corporal, when Icommanded the tank. I then spent two years in Army recruitment, before returning to the Royal Hussars as Troop Sergeant. Later, I was posted to the Royal Wessex Yeomanry in Stroud as a Permanent Staff Instructor, training the Territorial Army. Eventually, I was promoted to the role of Sergeant Major.

I never fired in anger, but was fired at during the Troubles. One time, we had parked near an old woollen mill in Belfast and as we crossed a courtyard, bullets started hitting the ground around us, fired by a sniper in a church steeple. Fortunately, we were able to reach safety. Another time, I was commanding a ferret – a lightly armoured, two-man vehicle. We were shot at during patrols in Belfast, but the bullets ricocheted off the armour. On a third occasion, we had been notified about a bomb in a busy street and assisted police in clearing the area. I was talking to a policeman in a shop entrance when the bomb exploded. Although we escaped injury, the force of the blast still knocked us off our feet. 

Some regiments, such as Royal Engineers, recruit from all over the country. The Royal Hussars are traditionally a family regiment, with most recruits coming from Hampshire, Wiltshire and surrounding areas. Most people in the regiment have something in common. Although I came from Scotland, I embraced the bonds of friendship and camaraderie that builds during Army service and which lasts a lifetime. 

After service, the Army tries to find you further work. I had offers to work as a recruitment officer in Banbury, and also passed exams to become a prison warden. However, the clerk presented me with another option, working at the Tower of London. There are only 42 Beefeaters, so opportunities don’t come up often. To qualify, you need 22 years of military service, to have reached a rank of Warrant Officer, and to have also received long service and good conduct medals. Three others from my regiment were already Beefeaters, which was fantastic as they could provide me with references. This was the job for me! 

Linda joined me for my interview in 1989, but she wasn’t keen initially, as it meant relocating to the Tower of London. We moved into a small house in the outer wall, before moving to the inner wall. The Tower of London isn’t one tower but 20, with six in the outer wall, 13 on the inner wall and one in the centre. We lived in the Devereux Tower, named after a former Earl of Essex who was imprisoned there before he was beheaded for treason by Queen Elizabeth I. 

The Yeomen Warders of His Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London – popularly known as Beefeaters – are custodians of the Tower. They are on duty day and night. In my time, there were eight positions around the Tower that we guarded, rotating every hour. You need a certain mentality to do that and also to handle the public. The vast majority of people are respectful, but you get the odd one who goes too far, or says things like, “Hello, Mr Beefburger,” which they alone find amusing. But you can enjoy pleasant exchanges, especially with children.  

Our most famous duty is the Ceremony of the Keys, which involves three Yeomans. That’s the traditional locking up of the Tower. It’s carried out daily, in conjunction with the Tower guards, who also maintain a constant presence. The routine begins at 9:53pm, when the Chief Yeoman Warder walks to Traitors’ Gate. He is met by a guard, who points a bayonet and says, “Halt! Who comes there?” If I was on duty, I’d reply, “The keys.” The guard (or Sentry) would then ask, “Who’s keys?” and I’d reply, “Queen Elizabeth’s keys” Now, of course, it would be “King Charles’ keys”. The guard then said, “Pass Queen Elizabeth’s keys. All’s well.” The Chief Warder then proceeded to the Broad Steps and proclaims, “God preserve Queen Elizabeth.” The guards shout “Amen” before The Last Post is sounded at 10pm. 

You have to book months in advance to watch the Ceremony, as the Tower only accommodates about 50 people a night. There is a pub inside too, called The Keys. Linda often prepared buffet food for visitors and Beefeaters take it in turns to work at the bar. We sometimes ran private tours, which is how I met celebrities and dignitaries. I remember Jackie Chan, as he could hardly speak any English and hadn’t even heard of Henry VIII. I also met American comedian Jerry Lewis and actors such as Ben Stiller, Tom Hardy and Mike Myers. 

People often assume that Beefeaters protect the Crown Jewels, but that isn’t true. They are guarded by the Jewel House Wardens. However, Beefeaters do participate in Royal parades and I escorted Princess Anne many times and Queen Elizabeth II on several occasions. We have two uniforms: the blue and red outfit is day-to-day wear, while the red and gold uniform that you see on Beefeater Gin is only worn on Royal occasions. The red coat alone costs about £5000. I supported Queen Elizabeth II at Hampton Court Palace once, where dignitaries gathered to meet her. As she was escorted in, she said, “I want to have a word with my boys!” and walked over to talk to us. 

 I worked overseas to promote UK Tourism too, and this took me all over Europe, as well as America and Australia. I attended a trade fair in Barcelona, which King Juan Carlos attended. All the tourism chiefs had lined up to greet him, while I stood to one side in my Beefeater uniform. When the King walked on to the stage, he surprised everyone by approaching me. He asked me what I thought of the city and to send his regards to his cousin, The Queen! 

In 2014, artists Paul Cummins and Tom Piper came up with a concept to commemorate British and Commonwealth soldiers who died in the First World War. They created Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, featuring 888,246 ceramic poppies. I was chosen to plant the first one. I joked that it’s because I was the best-looking Beefeater, but I think it’s because I had the best beard! I was also photographed for tourism adverts placed at Heathrow Airport and on the London Underground. 

I was a Beefeater for 26 years, eventually serving as Yeoman Sergeant before retiring in 2015. I received the Royal Victorian Medal, awarded for 20 years’ service. As we had always lived in tied accommodation, we had never owned a property, which is how we came to be in Horsham. Shortly after moving to the Tower, a fellow Yeoman was approaching his retirement. He had looked after several groups from Horsham who organised annual trips to the Ceremony of the Keys, including the local branch of the Royal British Legion. I took on his duties and when it came to my own retirement, a friend from the RBL helped us to find a nice flat in Horsham. 

I remain active in the RBL, serving as Treasurer for eight years. We help organise events such as Armed Forces Day and are involved in Remembrance services at the Carfax War Memorial. Linda and I spent two weeks selling poppies at Waitrose this year, helping the branch collectively raise about £60,000. We are also members of the National Trust and visit gardens such as Nymans as often as possible. 

When I lived at the Tower, I would see London cabbies stop at 11am, step out their taxi and observe the silence on Remembrance Sunday. However, this year’s service was the best I‘ve ever seen. The Carfax was packed, with many young people from local cadet forces attending too. It was wonderful to see and I think one of the better reflections of society today.  

WORDS: Ben Morris / PHOTOS: Alan Wright