RAF veteran shares war stories on Remembrance Sunday

A DECORATED RAF veteran has been sharing his war stories after attending a Remembrance Sunday parade in Saltburn-by-the-Sea.

86-year-old Colin Bulpitt was one of many paying their respects at Saltburn War Memorial to those who lost their lives during war, including the two World Wars and later conflicts.

The resident at Hazelgrove Court Care Home, on Randolph Street, in Saltburn, served in the RAF between 1955-60, where he was a cook and in charge of cleanliness.

He received a medal for his role in the Jebel Akhdar War in Oman between 1958-60, when he helped medics rescue fellow servicemen during bombing raids.

He told staff from the care home about how he can still hear the screams of those who had been hurt, as well as other stories from his time in the middle east.

He said: “Me and a friend were in our tent when we thought we heard someone approaching. We assumed it was the enemy and got our rifles ready – we were fearing for our lives – only for a donkey to put his head through the tent.

“Part of my job was to keep the camp clean and tidy and I took it very seriously. I remember when we got bed bugs in the hut we were sleeping in and we decided to burn it down because I read it was the only thing that killed them.”

After visiting the Saltburn memorial, where he met fellow veteran Ian Walshaw, who served in the Falklands War, Colin shared his sympathies for those in Ukraine.

He said: “It is always an honour to go down to the parade and meet other veterans.

“People sometimes think war ended when the Second World War ended but wars are going on all the time.

“It’s good today to remember the people in Ukraine. I always pray that one day we will have world peace.”