http://www.veteranscharity.org.uk/

Veterans Month, Barnstaple (2026)

08/09/2026

🎙️ HARRY SECOMBE & PETER SELLERS — TWO GOONS, TWO VETERANS

Born on this day, 8 September, two men who would later help define British comedy shared more than just a birthday.

Sir Harry Secombe CBE was born in 1921, while Peter Sellers CBE followed four years later in 1925.

Both served during the Second World War.

Secombe served with the Royal Artillery, seeing active service in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. It was during his wartime service that his natural ability to entertain those around him really began to emerge.

Peter Sellers joined the Royal Air Force in 1943. Poor eyesight prevented him from becoming a pilot, but his talent soon found another outlet. He became involved with RAF Gang Shows, entertaining servicemen in Britain and overseas, including in India, Ceylon and Burma.

Those wartime experiences helped shape two very different performers.

After the war, their paths came together through the legendary The Goon Show, alongside fellow veteran Spike Milligan.

The programme became one of the most influential comedy shows in British broadcasting history, its surreal humour inspiring generations of performers who followed.

Secombe also became renowned for his magnificent tenor voice and roles including Mr Bumble in Oliver!, while Sellers went on to international film stardom through The Pink Panther, Dr Strangelove, Being There and many more.

It is a wonderful reminder that behind two giants of British entertainment were two men whose formative years included wartime service.

Born on the same day.

Serving in different uniforms.

Later reunited through comedy.

Today we remember Sir Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers, veterans, entertainers and two unforgettable Goons.

Happy Birthday, Harry and Peter. We remember your service.

05/09/2026

🎬 GEORGE LAZENBY — AUSTRALIAN ARMY VETERAN AND JAMES BOND ACTOR

Born on this day, 5 September 1939, in Goulburn, New South Wales, George Lazenby is best known around the world for one of cinema’s most famous roles.

Before fame, however, he served in the Australian Army.

Like many young men of his generation, Lazenby’s early adult life included military service before he went on to make his name in civilian life. After leaving the Army, he worked in a range of jobs, including as a motor mechanic and car salesman, before eventually moving into modelling and acting.

His life changed dramatically in 1969 when he was cast as James Bond 007 in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

Stepping into a role so closely associated with Sean Connery was no easy task, but Lazenby’s performance has since earned a great deal of admiration, and many Bond fans now regard On Her Majesty’s Secret Service as one of the strongest films in the series.

Although he played Bond only once, it ensured his place in cinema history.

For us, it is also worth remembering that behind the famous tuxedo was a man who had first worn the uniform of the Australian Army.

Today, on the anniversary of his birth, we remember George Lazenby, actor, Australian Army veteran and the man who brought 007 to the screen in one of the franchise’s most memorable outings.

Happy Birthday, George. We remember your service.

05/09/2026

🎙️ BOB NEWHART — US ARMY VETERAN AND MASTER OF DEADPAN COMEDY

Born on this day, 5 September 1929, in Oak Park, Illinois, Bob Newhart became one of America’s most distinctive and much loved comedians.

Before the television shows, comedy albums and perfectly timed pauses, Newhart served in the United States Army during the Korean War era.

After graduating from Loyola University Chicago in 1952, he was drafted into the Army and served until 1954, largely in personnel and administrative roles in the United States. He eventually reached the rank of Staff Sergeant.

After leaving the Army, Newhart worked as an accountant and advertising copywriter, but comedy was where his real talent lay.

His breakthrough came with The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, which became the first comedy album to reach number one on the Billboard album chart and won major Grammy Awards.

He later became a television institution through The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart, and a new generation came to know him through appearances in Elf and The Big Bang Theory, where he played Professor Proton.

Newhart’s comedy was gentle, intelligent and unmistakable. His trademark one-sided telephone conversations, hesitant delivery and ability to make silence funny made him unique.

He died in 2024 at the age of 94.

Today, on the anniversary of his birth, we remember Bob Newhart, comedian, actor and US Army veteran.

Happy Birthday, Bob. We remember your service.

04/09/2026

🩺 CAPTAIN BRIAN COLDEN ANTILL POCKLEY — AUSTRALIAN DOCTOR AND WWI VETERAN

Born on this day, 4 September 1890, Brian Colden Antill Pockley was an Australian doctor whose brief military service became one of the earliest stories of sacrifice involving Australian forces in the First World War.

At the outbreak of war in 1914, Pockley joined the Australian Army Medical Corps and sailed with the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force, which had been sent to seize German wireless stations in the Pacific.

On 11 September 1914, during fighting at Bita Paka in German New Guinea, Pockley was treating casualties close to the action.

When a wounded sailor needed to be moved to safety, Pockley reportedly gave the man his own Red Cross armband, hoping it would help protect him while he was being carried from the battlefield.

Pockley then continued his work without it.

Soon afterwards, he was shot and mortally wounded.

He died later that day, aged just 24.

Pockley was among the first Australians to die as a result of enemy action during the First World War, and his story quickly came to symbolise the courage and selflessness of military medical personnel.

His act was simple but extraordinary: he gave up the visible protection afforded to him as a medical officer so that another wounded man might have a better chance of survival.

Today, on the anniversary of his birth, we remember Captain Brian Pockley, doctor, soldier and one of Australia’s earliest fallen of the Great War.

Happy Birthday, Captain Pockley. We remember your service and sacrifice.

03/09/2026

✏️ MORT WALKER — US ARMY VETERAN AND CREATOR OF BEETLE BAILEY

Born on this day, 3 September 1923, Addison Morton “Mort” Walker became one of America’s best known cartoonists.

Before creating Beetle Bailey, however, Walker had served in the United States Army during the Second World War.

Drafted in 1943, he served in Europe and Italy and worked in intelligence and investigative duties. His responsibilities also included work connected with a large Allied prisoner of war camp holding thousands of German prisoners.

Walker eventually left the Army as a First Lieutenant.

His military experience would later help shape the comic strip that made him famous.

In 1950, he created Beetle Bailey, centred on the misadventures of a reluctant soldier at the fictional Camp Swampy. The strip became one of the most widely syndicated cartoons in the world.

Its characters, humour and gently satirical take on Army life resonated with generations of readers, especially those who had served themselves.

What made Beetle Bailey particularly effective was that its creator understood military life from personal experience. Behind the jokes about parade grounds, officers, mess halls and fatigues was a genuine WWII veteran.

Walker continued drawing and writing for decades, becoming one of the longest serving figures in American newspaper cartooning.

Today, on the anniversary of his birth, we remember Mort Walker, soldier, cartoonist and the veteran behind one of the world’s most enduring military comic strips.

Happy Birthday, Mort. We remember your service.

03/09/2026

🚁 ALAN BRISTOW OBE FRAeS — Fleet Air Arm veteran and helicopter pioneer

Born on this day, 3 September 1923, in Balham, London, Alan Bristow went on to become one of the most important figures in British helicopter aviation.

His story began at sea during the Second World War.

As a teenager, Bristow served in the Merchant Navy and experienced the war at first hand, including repeated attacks and sinkings. He was involved in the evacuation of Rangoon and survived some exceptionally dangerous wartime voyages.

He later joined the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm, trained as a pilot and became involved with helicopters at a time when rotary wing aviation was still in its infancy.

That experience shaped the rest of his life.

After the war, Bristow became one of Britain’s pioneering helicopter pilots and later worked as a test pilot for Westland (now AgustaWestland Aviation Services).

He also flew in extremely hazardous conditions overseas and was awarded the Croix de Guerre for bravery after rescuing wounded men under fire in Indochina.

Then came the achievement for which his name is still known across the aviation world.

In 1955, he founded what became Bristow Helicopters.

The company grew into one of the best known helicopter operators in the world, becoming closely associated with offshore transport, oil and gas operations, search and rescue and specialist aviation services.

For many people, the name “Bristow” simply means helicopters.

But behind that name was a wartime seafarer, Fleet Air Arm pilot and aviation pioneer who turned his military flying experience into a company that helped shape the modern helicopter industry.

Today, on the anniversary of his birth (and also Merchant Navy day), we remember Alan Bristow OBE FRAeS, veteran, pilot, entrepreneur and pioneer.

03/09/2026

🎬 ALAN LADD — Hollywood star and US Army Air Forces veteran

Born on this day, 3 September 1913, Alan Ladd became one of Hollywood’s most recognisable leading men of the 1940s and 1950s.

Before films such as Shane, This Gun for Hire and The Blue Dahlia made him a major star, Ladd served during the Second World War with the United States Army Air Forces (now United States Air Force).

He enlisted in 1943 and served as a Corporal, including work with the First Motion Picture Unit, where actors, directors, cameramen and technicians helped produce training and information films for the US military.

His military service was relatively brief and he was later medically discharged, but like so many performers of his generation, his career was interrupted by wartime service.

Ladd returned to Hollywood and went on to enjoy enormous success.

His defining role came in 1953 with Shane, one of the great westerns of American cinema. The image of Ladd riding away at the film’s conclusion has become one of the most memorable moments in the genre.

He also appeared in The Great Gatsby, The Glass Key, Whispering Smith and The Carpetbaggers, building a career that made him one of Paramount Pictures biggest stars.

Today, on the anniversary of his birth, we remember not only Alan Ladd the actor, but also the young man who stepped away from Hollywood to serve during the Second World War.

02/09/2026

🎭 RONNIE STEVENS — RAF AND ROYAL ENGINEERS VETERAN

Born on this day, 2 September 1925, in Peckham, London, Ronnie Stevens went on to enjoy a long and varied career as an actor across stage, film and television.

Before that career began, however, he served during the Second World War.

Stevens served first with the Royal Air Force and later with the Royal Engineers, giving him the unusual distinction of wartime service in two branches of the Armed Forces.

After the war, he moved into acting and became one of those dependable British character actors whose face was often instantly recognisable, even when his name was less familiar.

His career included appearances in productions such as Brassed Off, The Parent Trap, Goodnight Sweetheart, and numerous television comedies and dramas.

He also became known for voice work and supporting roles, building a career that lasted for decades.

For us, the interesting part of his story is that behind the familiar television and film appearances was a man who had first spent his younger years in uniform during wartime.

Today, on the anniversary of his birth, we remember Ronnie Stevens, actor and veteran of both the Royal Air Force and Royal Engineers, British Army.

Happy Birthday, Ronnie. We remember your service.

02/09/2026

⚽ BILL SHANKLY OBE — RAF VETERAN AND FOOTBALL LEGEND

Born on this day, 2 September 1913, in Glenbuck, Ayrshire, Bill Shankly would go on to become one of the most influential managers in the history of British football.

Before Anfield, before Liverpool’s rise to greatness, and before the famous quotations, Shankly served during the Second World War with the Royal Air Force

The war interrupted his playing career at what should have been his peak. Shankly had been a professional footballer with Preston North End Football Club, but like so many of his generation, football was put aside when war came.

During his RAF service, he continued to play wartime football when duties allowed and also boxed as a middleweight, bringing the same competitiveness and physical determination that would later define his managerial career.

The conflict cost him around seven years of his professional playing career, but when football resumed he returned to Preston and continued playing before moving into management.

It was at Liverpool FC, however, that Shankly created his lasting legacy.

Taking charge in 1959, he transformed the club from a Second Division side into one of the dominant forces in English football. Under his leadership Liverpool won league titles, the FA Cup and established the culture and identity that would underpin decades of success.

He also helped create the famous Boot Room, building a tradition of continuity, loyalty and shared knowledge that became central to Liverpool’s later achievements.

Shankly became much more than a football manager. His wit, passion and understanding of supporters made him one of the game’s most enduring personalities.

Yet behind the football legend was also a wartime veteran whose playing career, like those of countless others, was interrupted by service.

Today, on the anniversary of his birth, we remember Bill Shankly OBE, RAF veteran, footballer and one of the great architects of modern Liverpool Football Club.

02/09/2026

🪖 RSM RONALD BRITTAIN MBE MSM — “THE VOICE” OF THE BRITISH ARMY

Born on this day, 2 September 1899, in Liverpool, Ronald Brittain became one of the most famous Regimental Sergeant Majors of his generation.

He enlisted in 1917 during the First World War, initially joining the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment before transferring to the South Wales Borderers and later the Coldstream Guards.

Standing around 6ft 3in tall, Brittain had the physical presence to match a voice that became legendary. He served on the training staff at the The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where generations of officer cadets encountered his formidable parade-ground commands. He became known simply as “The Voice”.

During the Second World War, Brittain appeared in a number of British military training films, where his unmistakable Sergeant Major persona made him instantly recognisable. Contemporary accounts even suggested that he may have possessed the loudest voice in the British Army.

He later became Regimental Sergeant Major of the Guards Depot and also served at the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, where thousands of future officers passed across his parade square.

Brittain finally retired from the Army in 1954 after 37 years of service, including around two decades as an RSM. His military fame then followed him into civilian life.

He appeared in advertising, voice-over work, film and television, often playing the very character he knew best: the archetypal booming Sergeant Major. His screen appearances included 55 Days at Peking and Casino Royale.

From a Liverpool butcher’s shop to Sandhurst parade grounds and the silver screen, Ronald Brittain carved out one of the most distinctive service careers of his era.

Today, on the anniversary of his birth, we remember RSM Ronald Brittain MBE MSM, soldier, instructor and one of the unmistakable voices of the British Army.

Happy Birthday, Sir. We remember your service.

Veterans Month

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