Please buy poppy to show your support, says Iraq war veteran

AN army veteran who lost a leg while serving in Iraq attended a fundraising event in Henley in aid of the Poppy Appeal.

Yanto Evans, who is now Oxfordshire community
fundraiser for the Royal British Legion, was supporting volunteers promoting this year’s appeal.

The all-day event took place in Market Place where the Waterloo Band & Bugles of The Rifles, led by Serjeant Gary Hamilton, from Henley, played.

There was also a stall staffed by personnel from RAF Benson.

The appeal is held annually in the run up to Remembrance Day on November 11 so the Legion can continue to support military veterans and their families.

Mr Evans joined the army when he was 17 but his career came to an end 15 years later in 1995 when he lost his leg.

He said: “After my recovery I started with the Legion. Having served, I know the sacrifice made by friends no longer with us. I’ve been lucky in that I’ve not needed help but some of my friends have.

“Our key message this year is that our armed forces risk everything to protect you, despite never having met you.

“Wearing a poppy shows serving personnel, veterans and their families that their service and sacrifice means something to you and will never be forgotten.

“The Royal British Legion is there for the armed forces community throughout their lives whenever they need us.

“Also during remembrance this year, we will be paying tribute to Her late Majesty the Queen, who was patron of the Legion for 70 years.”

John Green, president of the Henley and Peppard branch of the Legion, was dressed in a replica uniform of a First World War soldier.

He said: “My father fought in that war and he died when I was 16. I’m wearing a medal ribbon which was awarded to him in 1915 at Hohenzollern. He also won the Military Cross.

“Children come and ask questions about the uniform and the gun I carry as they’re curious. We do our little bit to try to educate them.

“Support for the Legion is improving all the time but I don’t know quite why that is. Maybe one day we won’t have to collect in order to help those who served but that won’t be in my lifetime.”

Connie Butt, who was dressed in red and used to run dances in the town hall for the Legion, said: “I’ve been volunteering and supporting for about 25 years and I enjoy it because I believe in the Legion and the Poppy Appeal.”

Richard Pinches, who was wearing a uniform from the Battle of El Alamein, had just returned from visiting Egypt to mark the 80th anniversary of the battle, which his father fought in.

He said: “The sand on my boots is from El Alamein. We walked through Cairo, Alexandria and Mersa Matruh and had armed guards with us the whole time, supplied by the Egyptian government.

“All the people there had relatives who fought in or died in that battle.

“I’ve long been a supporter of the Legion because my father served and it is great that people gravitate towards the uniforms and want to learn more.”

Sara Abey, organiser of the appeal in Henley, said: “It was wonderful how our community came together to support the appeal.

“People were enjoying the music and several hundred people came to our stall. It will be exciting to find out how much we raised.”

She thanked Hof’s Bar and law firm Blandy & Blandy for sponsoring the band.

“Also thank you to our amazing team of volunteers that helped me organise the event as well as collect donations around town to make it an uplifting and successful fundraiser,” she added.