I hate to introduce a sour note into this heartening story.
"The Telegraph, 27 June 2015" reports:
".....a former gunner who survived being shot at and almost starving to death during his long military career....."
but let us do some sums, he:
died 2015, aged 77, so d/b 1938
-joined army aged 21, so 1959
-reached age 40 1978
-served 30 years to 1989
Q. What foreign wars were we engaged in 59-89 ?....Google ?, result..."BBC History - British History", from which we extract:
"6 February 1971 (he is now 33 yrs of age)
-First British soldier is killed in Northern Ireland's 'Troubles' (1968-1998)"
"2 April-14 June 1982 (he is now 44 yrs of age)
-Argentina invades the British territory of the Falkland Islands"
1989 pensioned age 51.
Q. He would certainly have been "shot at" in NI (I doubt he would have been sent to the Falklands at his age). But, even so, when would he have been "almost starving to death" ? When was he captured, and by whom ? (I know Service rations are not always cordon bleu, but...)
I used to swear by the D.T. - but now am not so sure.
All honour to the good folk who answered the call and turned out (and I do like the "honour guard" - what had happened to the "loo-brush" on the chap's hat on the left ?)
Someone will explain it all to me,
Danny42C.