Bridlington Soldier To Be Honoured With Memorial Stone

A soldier from Bridlington who died while serving his country is being honoured in the town today.

Sapper Peter J Shippey was in the Royal Engineers and lost his life on a training exercise while serving in Germany in 1967 when he was 20.

A Memorial Stone in the War Memorial Garden on Wellington Road will be dedicated and unveiled at 11.

Martin Barmby who is a Royal Navy veteran from the town said he was out selling poppies when he found out about Sapper Shippey:

"This lady said I got this poppy in remembrance of my brother, he was kiled in Germany in 1967. She started crying, I started crying and I said 'well, why isn't he on the War Memorial?'

Well, it turns out it wasn't in war, it was practicing for war, it was coming back from an exercise.

He's on the National Memorial Arboretum but the veterans of Bridlington and futher afield throughout the UK have all chipped in and we're now unveiling a stone with his name, service number and everything on, so he's not forgotten in his home town.

In 100 years, people will go 'oh yeah, there's a young man who left Bridlington and unfortunately didn't get to come back to enjoy the fruits of his labours. He came back in a coffin, but it was all due to his services in his country.'

A young man who left Bridlington at 16 should not be forgotten because he died before I was born but lest we forget as we say, we've now made sure he's not forgotten in his home town."