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This parrot is no more This parrot is no more
(about 3 hours later)
BEEN AND GONE By Nick Serpell BBC News Profiles Unit Our regular column covering the passing of significant - but lesser-reported - characters of the past month.BEEN AND GONE By Nick Serpell BBC News Profiles Unit Our regular column covering the passing of significant - but lesser-reported - characters of the past month.
Sir Tasker was awarded the Victoria Cross at the age of 25Sir Tasker was awarded the Victoria Cross at the age of 25
• Once described as "arguably the greatest living Welshman", the death of Sir Tasker Watkins robbed Britain of one of it's best-loved war heroes, the first Welshman to be awarded the Victoria Cross in World War II. The son of a miner he led his men in a bayonet charge against numerically superior German forces before, single-handedly destroying an enemy machine gun post. He became a barrister and circuit judge after the war. A keen rugby player, he later became president of the Welsh Rugby Union, successfully seeing the transfer of the game from an amateur to a professional basis. • Once described as "arguably the greatest living Welshman", the death of Sir Tasker Watkins robbed Britain of one of its best-loved war heroes, the first Welshman to be awarded the Victoria Cross in World War II. The son of a miner he led his men in a bayonet charge against numerically superior German forces before, single-handedly destroying an enemy machine gun post. He became a barrister and circuit judge after the war. A keen rugby player, he later became president of the Welsh Rugby Union, successfully seeing the transfer of the game from an amateur to a professional basis.
Sir Jeremy was a key figure in the liberation of the Falklands• Another well-known soldier, Sir Jeremy Moore was the commander of the British land forces which retook the Falkland Islands following the Argentine invasion in 1982. The son and grandson of soldiers he joined the Royal Marines in 1947, his career including service in Malaya and Cyprus. He oversaw the march by British troops across the islands against fierce Argentine resistance before accepting the surrender of the occupying forces at Port Stanley on 14 June.Sir Jeremy was a key figure in the liberation of the Falklands• Another well-known soldier, Sir Jeremy Moore was the commander of the British land forces which retook the Falkland Islands following the Argentine invasion in 1982. The son and grandson of soldiers he joined the Royal Marines in 1947, his career including service in Malaya and Cyprus. He oversaw the march by British troops across the islands against fierce Argentine resistance before accepting the surrender of the occupying forces at Port Stanley on 14 June.
• Dubbed the Female Elvis, Janis Martin was one of the first woman artists to break the male stranglehold on American popular music in the 1950s. She was playing guitar at the age of six, and released her first record Will You Willyum, in 1956. She retired in the early 1960s having paved the way for singers such as Brenda Lee. She went back on the road in the 1970s and continued to tour until being diagnosed with cancer in March 2007.• Dubbed the Female Elvis, Janis Martin was one of the first woman artists to break the male stranglehold on American popular music in the 1950s. She was playing guitar at the age of six, and released her first record Will You Willyum, in 1956. She retired in the early 1960s having paved the way for singers such as Brenda Lee. She went back on the road in the 1970s and continued to tour until being diagnosed with cancer in March 2007.
Mr Nagai was shot as he filmed a protest in RangoonEnlarge Image • Kenji Negai was a Japanese photo-journalist, shot and killed by government troops while covering protests against Burma's ruling junta. In his 10 years with Tokyo's APF agency he covered conflicts in Afghanistan, Palestine and Iraq. He'd arrived in Burma just two days before government troops began attacking protesting Buddhist monks. He became the first foreign national to die in the protests.Mr Nagai was shot as he filmed a protest in RangoonEnlarge Image • Kenji Negai was a Japanese photo-journalist, shot and killed by government troops while covering protests against Burma's ruling junta. In his 10 years with Tokyo's APF agency he covered conflicts in Afghanistan, Palestine and Iraq. He'd arrived in Burma just two days before government troops began attacking protesting Buddhist monks. He became the first foreign national to die in the protests.
• Bobby Byrd made his contribution to music as the right hand man to the Godfather of Soul James Brown. After arranging Brown's parole from prison he helped the singer form his first band acting as a co-writer and singer on some of Brown's greatest hits. A talented musician himself, Byrd had a number of hits in his own right in the 1960s. Some of his songs reappeared in the 1990s when they were sampled by a number of rap artists.• Bobby Byrd made his contribution to music as the right hand man to the Godfather of Soul James Brown. After arranging Brown's parole from prison he helped the singer form his first band acting as a co-writer and singer on some of Brown's greatest hits. A talented musician himself, Byrd had a number of hits in his own right in the 1960s. Some of his songs reappeared in the 1990s when they were sampled by a number of rap artists.
Alex was controversial. For a parrot• A more controversial bird was Alex an African grey parrot. He was used by animal psychologist Irene Pepperberg in a 30-year experiment designed to prove that birds could understand the meaning of words rather than just mimicking. Pepperberg claimed he could associate words with colours and shapes and that he had the intelligence of five-year-old child, claims disputed by other scientists. Unfortunately further progress was halted by Alex's unexpected death at the age of 30, well below the normal lifespan of an African grey.Alex was controversial. For a parrot• A more controversial bird was Alex an African grey parrot. He was used by animal psychologist Irene Pepperberg in a 30-year experiment designed to prove that birds could understand the meaning of words rather than just mimicking. Pepperberg claimed he could associate words with colours and shapes and that he had the intelligence of five-year-old child, claims disputed by other scientists. Unfortunately further progress was halted by Alex's unexpected death at the age of 30, well below the normal lifespan of an African grey.
Among others who died in September were: the legendary mime artist Marcel Marceau; former Conservative minister and critic of Margaret Thatcher Lord Gilmour; environmentalist and Body Shop founder Dame Anita Roddick; larger than life Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti and Lois Maxwell, the actor best known for playing Miss Moneypenny in the Bond films.Among others who died in September were: the legendary mime artist Marcel Marceau; former Conservative minister and critic of Margaret Thatcher Lord Gilmour; environmentalist and Body Shop founder Dame Anita Roddick; larger than life Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti and Lois Maxwell, the actor best known for playing Miss Moneypenny in the Bond films.