After a 25-year military career, Derek “Benny” Bennett, 72, now lives in Edinburgh at a care home run by our long-standing partner, Erskine, which we proudly fund. Erskine is the only charity in Scotland providing care homes exclusively for veterans and their spouses.
Derek “Benny” Bennett grew up in North Wales. He left school at 15 and enlisted in the Boy’s Services section of the Army, joining the Junior Leaders Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps (JLR RAC).
He completed P Company Pre-Parachute Selection Course before passing out from JLR RAC. He said: “Looking back, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I was young and thought I was invincible. I wouldn’t change it for the world, though. It shaped me into who I am today.”
Benny then undertook the parachute jumps course at RAF Abingdon. On completion of the course, he said, “I am Airborne!”
In 1969, Benny joined the 3rd Carabiniers, which later merged into the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.
In 1973, he joined the Parachute Squadron, RAC, and was involved in armed reconnaissance. During this year, Benny undertook an operational tour in Northern Ireland and narrowly avoided injury during a rocket-propelled grenade attack. He said: “A rocket launcher missed the vehicle by just six inches. We were very lucky.”
In 1974, Benny was with the Parachute Squadron in Cyprus during the Turkish invasion, serving six months as part of the UN Peacekeeping Force. When the squadron disbanded in 1976, Benny returned to the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. He then undertook a further operational tour during the first Gulf War conflict, during which he experienced a barrage of scud attacks.
One aspect of his Army career Benny is especially proud of is his time as a Physical Training Instructor. “I took great delight in putting the new recruits through their paces”, he says, adding, with a cheeky smile, “It was about inflicting pain through exercise, though I never ever asked my recruits to do something I wouldn’t do myself.”
After 25 years of service, Benny left the Army in 1992 to spend time with his family in Wales. However, his toughest battle was yet to come. In 2018, he suffered a severe spinal cord injury that left him paralysed. Despite the odds, today Benny remains active and driven. Now in his 70s, he continues to keep fit at the Erskine home where he now lives, training for hours each day.
Erskine is the only charity in Scotland providing care homes exclusively for veterans and their spouses, of whom 70% are living with a dementia diagnosis. The ABF’s support for Erskine enables it to provide Army veterans with social opportunities and enhanced care, to improve their health and wellbeing.
Benny can’t praise Erskine highly enough and said of his life at the home: “It’s a great place to be, the rooms are all nice and the staff are brilliant. It’s not just about remembering our service; it’s about making sure we feel valued, respected, and looked after, no matter what we’ve been through. Erskine is the place to be for those with a military background.”