After the capitulation of Japan in August 1945, Achmed Sukarno, the collaborationist leader of the Nationalist puppet government, had launched his 12,000-strong army into a campaign of murder and intimidation against the Dutch and other civilians. Many of these were still in the camps where they had been interned by the Japanese.

British and Indian troops were flown in and restored order after much bloody fighting. Floyer witnessed the murder of his brigade commander, Brigadier A W Mallaby, during ³peace² negotiations with the treacherous rebel leader - a fate Floyer himself then narrowly escaped by diving through a window into a canal and swimming to safety.

Soon afterwards, Floyer¹s company was pinned down by superior numbers and was in danger of being overrun and massacred. During the night Floyer crept to within 100 yards of the enemy position to guide his gunners to put mortar shells directly on target. While doing so he was in great danger, both from the enemy and his own mortars. But the manoeuvre was successful, and by morning the enemy had been forced to withdraw.

David Cornish Floyer, of an ancient Exeter family which traced its pedigree back to the Domesday survey of 1086, was born on July 18, 1922 in British Columbia, and educated at Bedford School. He joined the Army the day after leaving school in 1940 and was commissioned into the Royal Corps of Signals, but then transferred to the Royal Engineers.

In 1942 he was posted to Lahore and joined the Bengal Sappers and Miners. He served in Waziristan, where there was always potential trouble, and which was being supplied with German and Italian money and weapons. Floyer made several incursions into tribal territory in Chitral on the North West Frontier.

In 1945 Floyer joined 71 Forward Company, 23rd Division, ready to take part in Operation Zipper, the invasion of Malaya, but the Japanese surrender on Aug 15 made the operation unnecessary.

After taking part in the reoccupation of Malaya, Floyer was posted to Java. When he took over as OC 71 Forward Company in Bandung, he was believed to be the youngest major in the Indian army. He returned to Britain in 1946, served for a further year with Central Mediterranean Forces in Padua and was demobilised in 1947.

After leaving the Army Floyer took a degree in Civil Engineering at McGill University, Montreal, and then returned to England for legal studies. He was called to the Bar by Lincoln's Inn.

In 1954 he joined the Burmah Oil Company. He became Burmah's chief representative in Pakistan and Australia, where he was instrumental in. securing Burmah¹s control of the Cooper Basin and gas fields on the North West Shelf.

In 1976 Floyer returned to England to practise at the Bar, before retiring to Devon, where for 10 years he was governor of school for blind and partially-sighted children.

A keen sportsman, he played rugby for Bedford School and Rosslyn Park, and when at McGill re-introduced the game to Canada. He organised an annual match between McGill and Harvard which is still played. He also boxed for the Army at welterweight and was an accomplished oarsman.

Floyer¹s main passion, though, was sailing, and he helmed dinghies and yachts all over the world. Widely read, he took delight in debate and was fascinated by conceptual developments in the field of Chaos Theory.

David Floyer was twice married and leaves three children.

London Daily Telegraph, Sept. 4, 1996

• 1 Mark Adrian Floyer = Snezana Velickovic
  
• 2 James Cornish Floyer
  

• 1 Cecile Ann Floyer