A special Remembrance Day At 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month of 2011, the nation will pause. We will fall silent and take two minutes to reflect on the sacrifice of our brave Service men and women from conflicts past and present. Remembrance Sunday, the second Sunday in November, is the day traditionally put aside to remember all those who have given their lives for the peace and freedom we enjoy today. On this day people across the nation pause to reflect on the sacrifices made by our brave Service men and women. In 2011 Remembrance Sunday is on Sunday 13 November.
Daniel Clay 1916. World War I: All along the line, throats were cleared nervously, hands gripped rifles tight. Then the shrill of whistles pierced the tense silence: the battle of the Somme had begun. In the trenches of the 8th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment, bugler Daniel Clay sounded the charge. 703 men shinned up ladders and surged forward, their courage tested under the enemy's continual bombardment. As they ran towards the barbed wire, nine out of ten men fell. Daniel was one of them and his body was never recovered from the mud of the battlefield. By the end of that summer's day, thousands had died and the casualty tally stood at over 61,000. It remains the bloodiest day of the British Army's history. Nine decades later, Maurice Green was rooting around a bric-a-brac stall in Rotherham. He was drawn to a filthy and battered army bugle. He paid £5, took it home and carefully cleaned away the years of grime. And as he polished he saw inscribed on the instrument the service number of his grandfather: Daniel Clay. Although Private Clay never came home to his family, his bugle did. And once more, on Remembrance Day last year, it sounded the Last Post, summoning up the 'pale battalions' of those brave Tommies who fought for King and country. Those men who did survive the Great War returned to a changed country. The promise of a land 'fit for heroes' never materialised and it fell to the newly formed British Legion to help brave veterans in need.
Rusty Rushmer Battle of Britain, 1940: On 5 September 1940, day 58 of the Battle of Britain dawned bright. A huge number of German Me109s massed out in the Channel, heading in our direction and ready to attack. No fewer than 14 RAF squadrons scrambled to see them off. From 603 Squadron, Flight Lieutenant FW 'Rusty' Rushmer was involved in a fierce dogfight over Maidstone. But his luck ran out - his Spitfire was shot down. His body wasn't recovered until 30 years later, when there was an excavation at farmland in Staplehurst. As they unearthed a Spitfire, a silver half-hunter pocket watch was found among the wreckage. Its hands had stopped at ten, exactly the time Rusty's Spitfire plummeted to the ground. The watch was identical to the one Rusty's father gave him for his 21st birthday. It proved crucial in identifying Rusty as the airman in the nearby unmarked grave. Today, the grave at All Saints Church, Staplehurst has a headstone earing the name of Flt Lt F W Rushmer. For 57 years time stood still, but Rusty is no onger missing. Rusty was one of the brave Few who defended our country in the darkest of times. The Royal British Legion is here for the many veterans, young and old, who have done the same from World War I to Afghanistan.
Johnson Beharry Iraq, 2004: Serving in the Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment, Johnson Beharry was the first living recipient of the Victoria Cross in almost 30 years - the highest military decoration for valour. His story of remarkable bravery includes twice saving members of his unit from ambushes in Iraq. During the second incident he sustained severe head injuries. On 1 May 2004, Beharry was driving a Warrior Tracked Armoured Vehicle called to assist an ambushed foot patrol. His vehicle was hit by multiple rocket propelled grenades, resulting in the loss of radio communications. The platoon commander, the vehicle's gunner and a number of other soldiers in the vehicle were injured. His periscope optics damaged, Private Beharry had to open his hatch to steer his vehicle, exposing his face and head to small arms fire. Beharry drove the crippled Warrior through the ambush, taking his own crew and leading five other Warriors to safety. He then extracted his wounded comrades from the vehicle, all the time exposed to further enemy fire. He was cited on this occasion for 'valour of the highest order'. Then, back on duty on 11 June 2004, Beharry was driving the lead Warrior of his platoon through Al Amarah when his vehicle was ambushed again. A rocket propelled grenade hit the vehicle six inches from Beharry's head, causing serious shrapnel injuries to his face and brain. Other rockets then hit the vehicle, incapacitating his commander and injuring several of the crew. Despite his life threatening injuries, Beharry retained control of his vehicle and drove it out of the ambush area before losing consciousness. He needed brain surgery for his head injuries - and he was still recovering in March 2005 when he was awarded the Victoria Cross. On 19th May 2007 he brought the FA Cup onto the field at the new Wembley Stadium before the final between Chelsea and Manchester United From 9th January to 20 March 2011, Johnson competed in the 2011 season of Dancing on Ice. He was partnered with Canadian ice skater, Jodeyne Higgins. They reached the semi-finals, broadcast on 20 March 2011.
Peter Dunning May 2008, Helmand Province, Afghanistan: The explosion threw Peter's six tonne, armoured Viking twenty feet. And when it landed, it took his legs. Lance Corporal Peter Dunning was on patrol when they drove over the makeshift mine that changed his life forever. Both Peter and fellow soldier Marc Goddard were left with terrible wounds. Tragically, their comrade Dale Gostick was killed. Unconscious, Peter was taken to Camp Bastion, the field hospital
Lest We
Forget
in Helmand Province. He had severe burns and
extremely badly damaged legs and was so dangerously ill that he was flown back as an emergency to Selly Oak hospital in Birmingham. There, he had a double amputation and he spent five months in hospital unable even to turn over in bed. Then, one day during his rehabilitation came a turning point. A fellow Marine stopped by. "He walked over, wearing his uniform and said: 'I know what you're going through'. I thought, 'That's nice mate, but I've lost both legs!' Then he rolled up his uniform and showed me his prosthetic leg." Peter spent the next seven months learning to use his own prosthetic legs. And with support from the Legion he's learned to walk again. He's back in uniform. He’s a member of the Services' disabled ski team and could make the Paralympics. "I didn't know The Royal British Legion helped people like me," says Peter. "I thought they were all about the older veterans and didn't realise that it helps those still in service. The support that
the Legion has offered me since my accident has been great. They are helping me to live my life as best I can."
For more stories of our military heroes, or for more information about the work of The Royal British Legion visit:
http://www.britishlegion.org.uk
11.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36