The unwavering dedication and service of the Armed Forces through the decades is being remembered by Royal Star & Garter, ahead of Armistice Day.
Founded to care for veterans in WWI, the charity provides award-winning care for men and women who have seen active service from WWII all the way up to the Iraq War.
Royal Star & Garter’s Remembrance campaign, Conflict Never Stops, highlights the invaluable role played by our Armed Forces, starting with Florence Mahoney, who served during WWII as a driver in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF).
It looks at the daring missions carried out in the 1950s and ‘60s by RAF low-level reconnaissance pilot Peter Lewis, which earned him the affectionate nickname ‘Prussian Pete’, and the humanitarian work of Navy veteran Jim Pitt, who helped rebuild Caribbean communities devastated by tropical storms. Lily Fair joined the Women’s RAF in the 1950s because she “wanted to see the world”, and worked as a telephonist in Singapore.
It also focuses on veterans of more modern campaigns, such as Brian Bucknall who served in the Army for 36 years. He was stationed in Germany and then in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. Lastly, the Conflict Never Stops campaign focuses on 34-year-old Stephen Vause, who was left with brain injuries caused by a mortar bomb attack while serving in Iraq in 2007.
Air Vice-Marshal Maria Byford, who has served in the RAF since 1991 and is a governor at Royal Star & Garter, said: “As we move further from the last world war, we are now supporting residents who’ve been engaged in more modern conflict. This has seen them continue to put their lives in danger for the safety of others. They have helped bring peace around the globe and been involved in the crucial work of supporting the recovery and rebuilding of war-torn countries, and those affected by natural disasters. Every veteran at Royal Star & Garter, and every resident we look after, is a part of this country’s military family, and we are proud to care for them and share their stories.”
Royal Star & Garter provides loving, compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia from Homes in Solihull, Surbiton, and High Wycombe.
Armistice Day is on Thursday 11 November – the date the ceasefire was signed in 1918 which signalled the end of WWI – while this year Remembrance Sunday falls on 14 November.
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