Soldiers visit elderly veteran on Armed Forces Day

ELDERLY Army veteran Bill Lyons received a special visit from fellow servicemen on Armed Forces Day.

The 74-year-old resident of Bannatyne Lodge Care Home in Peterlee, was thrilled to meet two soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment.

Sergeant Stephen Row of the 1st Battalion and Lance Corporal Christopher O’Callaghan of the 2nd Battalion paid a visit to Bill after hearing he was physically unable to attend the town’s Armed Forces Day parade.

Originally from Newcastle, Bill spent nine years in the Durham Light Infantry, where he rose to the rank of Corporal.

The care home’s activities coordinator, Dawn Minto, contacted the Armed Forces Careers Office in Middlesbrough to arrange the visit.

She said: “Bill isn’t able to mobilise well, so I asked if any of the soldiers could come and visit him. We were all thrilled when they agreed but especially Bill.

“He was delighted to talk to them about Army life. He hadn’t talked as much for months.”

After a coffee and a chat in the home’s garden, Bill said: “It was nice to meet someone in uniform.”

Sergeant Row said: “It was great to talk to Bill about Army life.

“It was a sunny day so we went out into the sunshine and talked to the ladies about their fathers and family members who had been in the forces as well.”