Royal Navy: 'I'm a Falklands War veteran marching at the Cenotaph to remember my HMS Sheffield comrades'

Alan Day, 68, will be taking part in the march-past on Remembrance Sunday in London (November 10). The Falklands War veteran served in the Royal Navy for 22 years between 1975 and 1997, being deployed on HMS Sheffield and during The Gulf War.

HMS Sheffield was a Type 42 destroyer which sank after being struck by an Argentinian Exocet missile in the early days of the conflict. Mr Day pays tribute to his colleagues every year at remembrance services, and has marched at the Cenotaph seven times.

He said: “I make it a priority to march at the Cenotaph whenever I can get a place. Whenever I cannot secure a place in London I will march in Portsmouth, Sheffield, or Fareham. I consider it a duty to my friends who never had the opportunity to march because they lost their lives on HMS Sheffield. My wife and I named our second son after my best friend who lost his life on the Sheffield.”

Mr Day also has strong links with the armed forces through his family. He said he marches in honour of his father, who never recovered after serving with the army in the Middle and Far East theatres, and for every man, woman and civilian who lost their lives in combat or had their lives affected by their service. “As always, my emotions will be a mix of pride and tears,” he added.

In total, 33 veterans who have been supported by the charity Help for Heroes will form a delegation at the annual parade. The commemoration will see 10,000 veterans and members of the armed forces community marching shoulder to shoulder along Whitehall.

Mr Day signed onto the force as an ordnance engineer and rose to the rank of Chief Petty Officer Weapons Engineering Mechanic (Ordnance). During the Gulf War, he developed post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He also endures mobility problems due to his replacement knees and hearing problems, due to bones being broken in his inner ear in a service-related incident. Mr Day became a beneficiary of Help for Heroes after attending combat stress sessions - supporting the charity ever since.

He said: “Attending Help for Heroes sessions I learned to use the techniques I had been given at Combat Stress. I was one of the many who helped to build the Iron Age Roundhouse, at the former recovery centre at Tedworth House. I’m very proud of that and the colleagues I met while doing it, and learning other skills such as thatching, wattle and daub, and many others.”

A spokesman for Help for Heroes added: “As we join the nation to commemorate the men and women who lost their lives while serving our country, Help for Heroes also remembers those still fighting their own battles today. We remain at the side of veterans, like Alan, and their families who are struggling with painful injuries, mental trauma, isolation, and more – providing life-changing support for as long as it takes.”