THE UNWAVERING dedication and service of the Armed Forces through the decades is being remembered by Royal Star and Garter, ahead of Armistice Day.
This year the care home company, which has a home in Solihull, is highlighting the issue Conflict Never Stops and looking at the role played by our Armed Forces, starting with Florence Mahoney, who served during the Second World War 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.
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 and 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 and 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.”
