Ron was awarded the Legion d’Honneur for his Army service during France’s liberation in World War Two. He now lives happily at Care for Veterans, one of our partner charity care homes.
Formed by Sir Winston Churchill’s war cabinet in the months before VE Day, the Army Benevolent Fund was created as the Army’s national charity to ensure support was available for soldiers returning from the Second World War.
To this day, we are immensely proud to support veterans who served in the Second World War, such as 102-year-old Ron, who was 18 and a half when he was conscripted into the Royal Engineers.
Ron’s unit was deployed to Normandy just after the D-Day landings. He landed on Sword Beach, jumping over the side of his ship and into the water. He was weighed down with all the equipment on his back, including two hand grenades and 200 rounds of ammunition.
He still remembers the camaraderie with his fellow soldiers during quieter moments, as well as the chaos of war.
“The war was a long time ago, but you remember… you couldn’t sleep when the guns were going, especially at night time.”
Many years on from the beaches of Normandy, Ron now lives at Care for Veterans, which received a grant of £150,000 from the ABF in September 2024. The home, established in 1919, supports physically disabled ex-service personnel of all ages (the youngest is just 21), with a neuropsychologist specialising in PTSD, physiotherapy, and a daily programme of activities, from arts and crafts to yoga.
A gift of £30 today can offer more support to former soldiers like Ron, helping them avoid hardship and live with independence and dignity.