Bill Callaghan

Bill Callaghan is a Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London - also known as a Beefeater. He describes this role as "a stand up historian" - He was formerly a Sergeant Major in the Royal Army Medical Corps with 23 years military service.  Rejected by the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and the Royal Air Force on academic grounds, Bill was readily accepted into the Army; an organisation that, in the late Seventies, viewed academic achievement with a deep suspicion. He enlisted into the Royal Army Medical Corps at the age of seventeen; excelled in basic military training and was graded 'above average' as a Nurse and Paramedic.  He was quickly identified as an instructor and trainer in all these fields and quickly rose through the ranks, at one point being the youngest Sergeant in his Corps. His service took him all over the UK (including Northern Ireland) most of Europe, the Balkans and Scandinavia, quite a bit of the Middle East, some of East Africa and some remote islands in the South Atlantic.  In addition to his medical duties Bill Callaghan has been trained and employed in Intelligence, Public Information and Psychological Operations. He has served with Guards, Infantry, Cavalry, Airborne, Commando and Special units. After an unpromising start academically, he obtained a BA hons in European History with diplomas in art and religious studies, from the OU, he also attended university courses for military studies in European, Middle Eastern and American Politics at Burwall's College Bristol and St Andrews University.  Bill retired as the Army Medical Services Recruit Company's Sergeant Major; a unique post, at Lichfield in 2002 after twenty-three years of service. He was sworn in as "a Member of the Sovereign's Bodyguard, a Yeoman Warder of HM Tower of London, of the Yeoman of the Guard in Extraordinary" - better known as a Beefeater - in August 2002. A post he proudly holds to this day.

In his 'spare time', Bill volunteered as a Crewman on the RNLI's busiest lifeboat - Tower Lifeboat - on the River Thames in central London. Although no longer afloat he continues to fundraise for the RNLI. ​ Bill describes himself as 'Single, living in a Castle, in central London, with parking.' To relax, in quiet moments he writes fairly awful poetry and pushes paint around canvas.