Armed Forces Day display raises £700 for Poppy Appeal

ALMOST £700 was raised at an event held in Henley market place to mark Armed Forces Day on Saturday.

There was a Long Range Desert Group jeep display with artefacts and weapons used in the desert conflict during the Second World War.

Richard Pinches, who organises the annual Poppy Appeal collection for the Henley and Peppard branch of the Royal British Legion, was dressed in a desert uniform.

He had also brought with him his Second World War Willys Desert Jeep.

Representing various eras of the British army from the First World War to the Seventies was branch president John Green, Josh Thatcher, a member of the Military Vehicle Trust, and town councillor David Eggleton.

Mr Pinches said: “It was a lovely day and many different people came to chat and donate, including some of the foreign visitors here for Henley Royal Regatta. It is always great to engage with people about what happened in the Second World War and keep the memories alive of those who fought and those who didn’t come back.

“We don’t glorify war, we’re here to commemorate those sacrifices given in the name of peace. The young children always like my toy desert fox and desert rat — they’re always crowd-pleasers. Some of the slightly older children know quite a lot, even if some of it does come from video games.”

Mayor Rory Hunt visited the display as did 98-year-old Poppy Appeal volunteer Walter Good, who served with the Coldstream Guards at the end of the Second World War. He came with a selection of photographs.