Vero Berrie

It is with regret we have to record the passing of Vero Berrie, who died in Clacton on March 9th, at the age of 80. Vero Laverton Berrie was one of the original Palladium Minstrels and, for a time during 1912-14, was a member of Will Pepper's "White Coons." In addition to playing the banjo, he possessed a fine baritone voice.

During World War I, he served in the Royal Engineers in Gallipoli, Egypt, and France. He won the M.M. and was mentioned in dispatches twice. He was also in the War Office (medals branch) where he did the special writing and general decoration involved in the issue of medals and certificates. This called for exceptional skill and concentration, for the writing had to match the printed copperplate format.

Mr. Berrie, who was a Freeman of the City of London, took up the profession of surveyor and architect and settled in Clacton in 1924. In 1940, he entered the clerk's department at Clacton Town Hall and was still in this employment at the time of his death. Among his town hall duties was inscribing the invitations to the Council's official functions. Renowned for his fine hand­writing, Mr. Berrie claimed he had won every handwriting competition he entered. He was a well-known part-time entertainer in the North-East Essex area and founded the Clacton B. M. & G. Club before the last war. He also taught the banjo.

He leaves a widow and three daughters to whom our sincere condolences are tendered.