Remembrance Day – our people share their stories

“For me, Remembrance Day is a chance to remember colleagues I flew and worked with, who are sadly not with us anymore. It’s also a moment I take to honour those that I was involved in the repatriation of during my tours in Afghanistan.

The last significant duty that I performed before I left the RAF was to lead the RAF contingent at the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall. This was significant not just because it took place in front of Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II but, for me personally, the widow of a good friend and the family of Sean Cunningham, a Red Arrow pilot that I flew with on the Tornado, who was killed in an aircraft accident. This was the proudest, but also most emotional, moment of my service career.

Now I represent Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team in my local community by laying a wreath on behalf of the Team and the veterans within it.”

“I have been a member of the Royal Naval Reserve since 2019, and am currently at the rank of Sub-Lieutenant. Since joining, I have enjoyed taking on many opportunities. Over the summer of 2020, I completed my basic training through an Accelerated Officer Programme, which included leadership training, maritime skills, weapons handling and three weeks on board HMS Richmond, a Type 23 frigate. I am now a media operations specialist and have undertaken taskings involving media engagement for high profile filming, aircraft carrier readiness training and national military events. I have been part of Information Operations activities at restricted levels that have fed into national operations. I held the positions of Engagement Officer and Public Relations Officer for my unit, HMS King Alfred, which is located on Portsmouth Naval Base. Being part of the Naval Reserves has not only given me great training opportunities in leadership, coaching and education, but also adventurous training and sporting activities. I spent ten days in Switzerland learning the skeleton (hurtling head first down an ice track at 60+ miles per hour) and have competed in 5k and 10k running events for the Navy. I have also enjoyed improving my surfing with the Royal Navy Surfing Association.

My family has a rich history of military involvement. My great uncle Brian was a co-pilot as a sergeant. He then completed training in Montreal, and eventually became a flight sergeant. He died in 1945 after VE day but before VJ day in a plane crash. Great Uncle Jack was a Lieutenant in the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers, and Aunt Vera was an Auxiliary Transport Service driver and then secretary to the Colonel. My great grandfather Arthur Adams was a field rank captain in the Army in both WWI and WWII. Following WWII, my grandfather Brendan was a telephonist and switchboard operator in the Army, and my Nana, Pamela, was in the Girls Training Corps.

Remembrance Day for me is filled with great pride thinking of the history of my family’s service and the great loss they suffered, pride in my own service, and thinking of those currently deployed around in the world in service of us at home.”

“I was in the Corps of Royal Engineers (RE). Like all Royal Engineers, I was multi-traded (the huge attraction of being in the Corps compared to the rest of Armed Forces). In short, I have served as an Engineer Resources Specialist, Military Engineer, Armoured Engineer and Soldier. All Royal Engineers double as infantry, especially in the Airborne/Commando role. My last posting was 61 Field Support Squadron RE (Air Assault), 23 Engineer Regiment (Air Assault), 16 Air Assault Brigade. I had the honour to be one of the rare Warrant Officer troop commanders in a post normally filled by a senior Commissioned Captain. I retired after 23 years in October 2005.

Like all service people, finding work after transitioning to civilian life was hard for me, as most employers did not want us. After many interviews, I started as a contractor in 2006 at Leonardo’s Yeovil site (then AgustaWestland), becoming a permanent employee in 2007. I was the first soldier that was non-Army Air Corps to join an RN/RAF next-step transition place of work.

Having an Armed Forces network group at Leonardo is really important to me. We are interested in hearing from those who have served, those serving in the Reserves, those who are the spouse of a serving member, or anyone with a family connection to the Armed Forces, who was inspired to join Leonardo and assist with the safety and security of those serving and our nation. Being part of the group gives me a better connection with veterans and reservists, as we have our own outlook on life that can differ from civilians.

It’s so important for our company to observe Armistice Day. Leonardo works closely with the Ministry of Defence, and Remembrance Day holds strong importance with many of our colleagues who have served, remembering those who died on operations in Northern Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan and other theatres of conflict. One of my great-great-uncles won the Victoria Cross in 1915 at the Battle of Loos, and another died at Gallipoli. I also lost colleagues during my time serving. I am an injured veteran from Iraq 2003, and I am also the Chair of the Royal British Legion Wincanton Branch. The calling never stops really. That’s why we join, duty calls to us.”

“What does remembrance mean to me? I served as both a Soldier and Officer in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, joining straight from school. Working for Leonardo is my first proper job!

I was very fortunate during my 29-year Army career, having been able to take part in battlefield studies of both the First and Second World War in France and Belgium - Remembrance Day forms a big part of that, of course. However, it is way bigger than that for me; it is a chance to remember the sacrifice that people have made to protect the security of our nation, right up until the modern day.

Our Armed Forces personnel put themselves in harm’s way without hesitation. It is ingrained into their attitude and the very DNA of their existence - it is their ‘why’. Taking some time to reflect on Remembrance Day makes me proud to have served. I think it is the very least we can do to remember the brave individuals who have gone before us, whilst also acknowledging the efforts of all the families that support our Armed Forces Personnel.”

I spent just shy of 25 years in the British Army, with The Corps of Royal Engineers. I deployed to many countries around the world on Operations, Exercise and Sport. I started my journey in May 1997, when I left my family home and headed for the Army Training Regiment at Bassingbourn Barracks.

Once my training was complete, I was assigned to 36 Engineer Regiment as a Combat Signaller within the Field Support Squadron. As soon as I moved, I found out I had three weeks of training to get me up to speed and ready to deploy to Bosnia for six months. This deployment taught me very quickly that making friends and trusting people was going to be key to me enjoying my time in the Army.

On completing the tour of Bosnia, I returned to 36 Engineer Regiment for six months, prior to being assigned to the newly-formed 26 Engineer Regiment. No sooner had we had the reformation parade, we were off on tour again, this time to Kosovo, where I was deployed as the Officer Commanding signaller and driver. We had many adventures over that tour, including heading to Albania to try and strike a deal with the local quarry owners and local governments.

Following that tour, I deployed back to Kosovo once more and on two tours to Canada for exercises. The second time saw me on the training area in British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) at the time of the 9/11 attacks, which made what we were training for very real.

In the aftermath of 9/11, I deployed to Afghanistan to the centre of Kabul. Here, I worked within the regimental operations room answering to and working with the Regimental Second in Command and Operations Officer. I was charged with operating the communications suite, map marking, taking operational information down and passing it to the right people in a concise manner

Other tours I completed with various Engineers Regiments were Operation Telic 6 and Operation Telic 11 (Iraq), Operation Herrick 15 (Afghanistan) and Operation Cabrit (Estonia).

My father was also in the Army, serving in 9th/12th Royal Lancers, completing 24 years and gaining the British Empire Medal. The knowledge and guidance I gained from him definitely helped me make my decision on joining the Army, but my choice of regiment was up for debate according to him.

Having spent my whole life within the forces community, Remembrance Day means so much to me. It is a day when I will remember the good times, the tough times and the people I spent it with. I will remember the friends and colleges that paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. During the two- minute silence, I will remember.

"Remembrance Day: what is it about?

Medals? No - they’re only metal.

Me? No - it’s not about me.

Mates? Yes - those with whom we served. Those we lost. Those who were injured. Those who are still serving and those who are still suffering. Those who have retired.

Memories? Yes - plenty! Important ones. These memories and experiences have shaped me. They impact me now, and will continue to do so in the future.

We honour those who serve to defend our democratic freedoms and way of life, and we remember the service and sacrifice of the whole of the Armed Forces community.

We will remember them.”