GEOGRAPHY master Stewart Pether, who survived when a bullet hit his brandy flask during the D-Day landings, has died aged 93.

Born into an Oxfordshire farming family in 1916, he became a pupil at Magdalen College School, where he excelled at sport.

He represented the school at all sports and, in 1934, was selected to play golf for the English schoolboys against Scotland at Moortown Golf Club, in Leeds.

In 1936, Mr Pether went up to St Peter’s Hall, Oxford, where he read geography.

He was awarded Blues for golf, cricket and rugby union. He played 10 first-class cricket matches for Oxford University, taking 31 wickets at an average of 20.06.

In 1939, he was commissioned into the Gloucestershire Regiment.

He avoided a posting to Burma as he was needed to play rugby for the Army, and later landed on Gold Beach on D-Day in 1944 as a major with the 2nd Battalion, the Gloucestershire Regiment.

On June 11, 1945, his sergeant was killed next to him, but he was saved thanks to the bullet hitting the brandy flask in his breast pocket.

The flask survives to this day.

On July 17, 1945, he was badly wounded by a shell from a German 105mm self-propelled gun.

He was evacuated to an American field hospital and later repatriated. Due to his wounds, he resigned his commission in 1946.

Mr Pether then joined St Edward’s School, in North Oxford, where he ran the geography department and became house master of Field House.

For many years, he ran the school rugby and cricket teams. During the post-war years he played club cricket and continued playing golf until the years finally caught up with him.

He was honorary secretary of the Oxford Freemen and also honorary fixture secretary and life vice-president of the Oxford University Rugby Football Club.

Mr Pether was also a long-time president of Oxford RFC and represented the county at cricket twice in the 1948 Minor Counties Championship, making 98 runs in three innings.

Mr Pether remained at St Edward’s School until his retirement, and then worked for the Burford branch of the Royal British Legion.

He also encouraged the juniors at Burford Golf Club where he was a life member. Mr Pether married Daphne in 1942 and they had three children.

Mr Pether’s wife died before him, and their children Jane and David survive him, but their daughter Sally died from cancer in 1996.

Mr Pether, who was also a grandfather, leaves his long-term partner Jinny.

They had lived in Burford for the past 30 years.

A thanksgiving service was held at St John the Baptist Church, Burford, yesterday.