John 'Boots' Allistone
P017170M
11th December 1940 - 17th January 2025

John was a member of the WA Branch after having served with SASR as the SBS Exchange SNCO. In the words of John Easlea " he contributed to the professional development of the Regiment’s water operation training wing in that time. He will always be remembered for his high standards in this field, but more so for his humour and generosity as a good bloke to all who served with him".
From the SBS Association.
Boots was a larger than life character and a very prominent Member of the Service and the Association.
Boots joined the Royal Marines in 1958 and he served in many areas throughout his service, including Indonesia and Northern Ireland and he was also awarded a Meritorious Service Medal and a Long Service Good Conduct Medal with Bar, and the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal. He was also involved in numerous other operational and training environments throughout his career.
Prior to joining the Service, Boots was part of the RM Detachment on the first commission of HMS Zulu from 1964/1965, before attending and successfully completing SC3 Course 2/66.
Boots is pictured above with the Miss Great Britain contestants, a photograph he was most keen to be included in this notice. His role in this event however is unclear.
He served with the Unit Reserves as PSI at Newcastle from 1974-1976 before taking Christine, Simon, Emma and Dom over to Australia on the exchange draft in 1978, where they all had an amazing experience and opportunity during their three year draft..
During The Falklands Campaign, Boots was the Rear Party SNCO in charge of Dive Team, although he very nearly ended up being parachuted into the South Atlantic on a task. During this time he assisted with all the usual Rear Party duties, but also very much with the welfare and morale of the families back at home.
Boots was a very keen Historian, obtaining a Degree in Archaeology and he was a very active member of the Royal Marines Historical Society. This was of great benefit in the early days of the Association’s beginnings to capture the history of the Service.
Boots left the Service in 1988 and initially worked in Makro then at Poole Hospital before ‘defending the mean streets of Poole’ as a Traffic Warden.
Boots was the inaugural Standard Bearer for the Unit and the Association from 2007 when the Standard was first introduced until handing over the role in 2023.
Below is an extract from Major General Andrew Keeling CB CBE on the handover of the Standard from Boots to Brian Burgess.
‘You’ve done a cracking job every time you’ve been on parade, whatever the occasion, whatever the weather, whatever the place, whatever the length of time.
You’ve done us all proud Boots.
Thank you from all of us that have shared the honour of parading with our Colour and thank you for always attending to your duties as Standard Bearer in such a respectable, presentable, reliable, responsible, and appropriate manner.
Thank you, and I really do mean it – Thank You – from all of us for your reliably immaculate and appropriate service.
You’ll be a hard act to follow.’
The Association is deeply indebted to Boots for all of his service and support to the Association, whether as; Standard Bearer, historical font of knowledge, colleague and friend, and general booster of morale.
Boots has been an outstanding supporter of the Association right from the start, from the historical aspect, Standard Bearer and also as stand in Chairman at one of the Annual General Meetings.
Boots – The legend, you will be missed by us all.