Cornish D-Day veteran to lay wreath on train for Armistice Day
It is part of the special 'Poppies to Paddington' event
Last updated 11th Nov 2020
A D-Day veteran from Cornwall is taking part in a special ‘Poppies to Paddington’ operation for Armistice Day.
GWR has joined forces with The Veterans Charity, with swathes of poppy wreaths being placed on Great Western Railway trains and carried to London Paddington station on November 11th.
The special Poppies to Paddington operation will involve nine train services and more than 60 stations, including six in Cornwall.
With many Remembrance events in the capital and around the region suspended because of the pandemic, GWR and The Veterans Charity have been coordinating with organisations including the Royal British Legion and The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) to place wreaths on board early-morning services heading to the capital on November 11th.
95-year-old D-Day veteran Harry Billinge MBE will be providing a wreath which will be placed on board at St Austell, his home town.
Local authorities and military bases are also taking part in the operation and more than 100 wreaths are expected to be taken to London.
On arrival at Paddington these will be placed at the station’s iconic war memorial, on Platform 1, in time for the Remembrance Day service at 1100.
Poppies to Paddington is GWR’s way of helping our communities to ensure our fallen heroes are remembered despite the restrictions in place around Covid-19. The arrival of the Poppies and the Remembrance service will be broadcast live on GWR’s Facebook page and we encourage people to #RememberFromHome.
“We all know how much change the pandemic has brought to everyone’s lives but we are determined Remembrance Day should be marked in the best way possible.
“Poppies to Paddington allows all those organisations who would usually be present for the Remembrance services at London Paddington and around the region to pay tribute to the fallen by laying a wreath. We are proud to be able to help in this way.”
GWR’s Head of Communications, Dan Panes
“Thanks to GWR and our friends in HM Armed Forces, the Emergency Services and numerous other groups and charities who support veterans, Poppies to Paddington will mean that people from across the region can still pay respects and remember those who fought and remember those who died in conflicts from World War One to Afghanistan. All from the safety of their home.”
Iain Henderson, Trustee of The Veterans Charity
“In the year that marked 75 years since VE Day and VJ Day, the Legion is remembering the contribution of every member of our Armed Forces who stepped up to defend our way of life then, and those who continue to do so today, whatever the threat.
“Although we acknowledge that Remembrance will not be the same and communities cannot come together as they usually do at this time of year, it is still important to provide people with a safe outlet to pay tribute and as the champions of Remembrance, we are grateful to the GWR for helping people pay tribute.”
Royal British Legion spokesperson
“Recognising the service and sacrifice of the Armed Forces around and on Remembrance Day itself is extremely important. In these increasingly challenging times, Poppies to Paddington is a poignant and entirely fitting example of how we need to adapt in order to continue marking this significant annual event.”
Lt General Sir Andrew Gregory, CEO of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity
The first of the Poppies to Paddington services will start from Penzance at 0458, calling at 10 stations before arriving into London Paddington at 0959.
One of those stations is St Austell, where D-Day veteran and #GreatWesterner Harry Billinge will have his wreath placed on board the train that was recently named in his honour at 0548.