‘I see your suffering and I’m thinking of you’: Veterans share why Poppy Appeal matters

In Leeds, standard bearers marked the launch of the national Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

The fundraising for the charity helps veterans like Simon Brown, who was shot in the face by a sniper.

On his third tour of Iraq in 2006 with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, he was called to rescue a stranded vehicle with a crew of six on board following an insurgent attack.

During the extraction, as the vehicle pulled away, a bullet entered his left cheek and exited the other side.

Simon Brown told GB News: “I was fortunate enough to be conscious and survived the event and did my own first aid for 25 minutes and then we got to medical facilities at Basra Palace.

“I was put into a drug induced coma and I woke up Christmas Eve 2006 and found out what the damage actually was.“

Over 10 years I’ve had 25 operations, about 140 hours of surgery, to reconstruct my face. My left eye was removed and I retained 25 per cent vision in my right eye.”

He added that it’s not just the funds raised, but the symbol of the poppy that supports those that have served in the Armed Forces.

“Wearing a poppy just says, ‘I see your suffering’ and I’m thinking of you,” Simon said.

Tragically, soldiers like Chris Turton have paid the ultimate sacrifice – he lost his life in 2007 after his vehicle was destroyed by IEDs in Iraq.

Last week would have been the 19th wedding anniversary with his widow Sharon, who now helps others who have suffered the same loss.

The Army widow said: “I’d lost my military family when I lost Chris, so the Royal British Legion became my new family. I started off as a volunteer and now I’m a member of staff, so you cut me open and it’s poppies that come out of me.

“But that’s the way they’ve helped me, they’ve given me something else to live for, and I’m also able to keep Chris in other people’s thoughts as well as my own.”

The Royal British Legion community has given veteran Jonathan Calvert a fresh purpose as a civilian.

He’s now the Vice Chairman of Leeds Royal British Legion Central Branch and said: “I’ve just retired recently from the air force and I want to give back to the community.

“The Royal British Legion have helped me so much, helping with transitioning from being in service for over 20 years to now being a veteran.”

The newly designed plastic free poppy is hoped to boost fundraising this year.

Frances Barker, Leeds Poppy Appeal Manager, told GB News: “The poppy appeal this year is obviously very exciting. It’s the first new poppy for 28 years that we’ve had so it was redesigned and it’s very eco-friendly.
“We would like as many people as possible to support the Poppy Appeal because we’d like to really let them know that they do care and that they’re looking after our armed forces community.”

The poppy represents all those who lost their lives in service and from the First World War to the present day.