Ghanaian-Born Guard prepares to escort Queen...

...Proud parents to watch 'natural leader' on parade

IN HIS last school report, Ghanaian-born Justin Butah was described as having “a new sense of direction” in his life after his decision to join the British Army.

Today, 11 years later, the prophetic words of Simon Barber, housemaster at a 250-pupil English independent school, are to acquire a new significance as Captain Butah, the first black officer to join The Life Guards in its 340-year history, prepares for a prominent role in next week’s Queen’s Birthday Parade on Horse Guards Parade.

His parents, Joe and Glenda Butah, who live in Ghana, will be attending the annual event to watch their son fill the privileged position of escort commander to the Queen next Saturday. “We’re enormously proud parents, as any parent would be,” Mrs Butah said from her home in Ghana. Her husband is a retired Ghanaian naval officer.

At Hyde Park Barracks yesterday The Life Guards were rehearsing for today’s Colonel’s Review of Trooping the Colour, the traditional event a week before the Sovereign’s Birthday Parade, which is also held on Horse Guards.

Captain Butah, 30 and married, who came to school in England at the age of 14, admitted, as he saluted passing members of the Household Cavalry, that he loved the “elitism” of The Life Guards. A few years ago it was the all-white elitism of the Household Cavalry, consisting of The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals, which put an unfavourable spotlight on the ceremonial regiments. Now more than 8 per cent of Household Cavalry recruits are from ethnic minorities.

Captain Butah, who has passed the exams to become a major and hopes to win promotion, called on young men in the ethnic minorities to ignore reports of racism in the Army and to follow his example by applying to join an elite regiment such as The Life Guards. “If you can’t make the grade, then it’s not for you, but in my view there’s no point in being second best,” he said.

Mr Barber, Captain Butah’s housemaster at Abbotsholme School in Rocester on the Staffordshire-Derbyshire border, said of his former pupil: “He always had a natural ability to put other people at their ease and he clearly had leadership qualities. If you gave him the choice of picking up a textbook or a cricket bat he would choose the bat, but he left with three A levels and we’re absolutely thrilled that he has done so well in the Army.”

His report in 1990 refers to his special projects: visits to The Parachute Regiment at Aldershot and the Royal Artillery at Larkhill.

Mr Barber wrote in the report: “I am pleased that his various army applications have given him a new sense of direction and a seeming new sensitivity towards responding to the demands of his community. A pleasant, sensible and mature young man.”

Captain Butah said he had considered three possible careers after school, becoming a pilot with British Airways, joining the RAF or the Army. “I didn’t want to join the Navy because my father was in the Ghanaian Navy,” he said.

His father, 60, said: “Justin’s ambition is to reach the highest he is capable of in the Army. He has always been independent and active and likes to do things his own way. He gets on with everyone.”

Captain Butah lived in Ghana until he was 12. He has two sisters, Rhian, 26, who has an economics degree from the London School of Economics, and Suzanne, 22, with a law degree from Essex University.