Passion for military history raises over £2,000

A retired man from Berkshire who has always had a strong interest in military history, has been using his passion to raise money for our charity.

Chris, from Burghfield, has been able to dedicate more time to his interest since retiring from his job in private health care.  He says:

“Both my parents were in the Royal Navy and served in the Second World War. I’m not a military man myself. However, I’ve always had an interest in military history and now have the time to study in far greater depth.”

Chris has devised three separate talks which he presents to groups titled ‘The Battle of Britain 1940’, which recalls the challenges, threats and events of that summer, ‘Dambusters’, covering the famous 1943 raid, and ‘Disaster and Bravery at Dieppe’ which focusses on Operation Jubilee.

With the 80th anniversary of D-Day fast approaching, Chris is currently working on a fourth talk on D-Day. He says:

“D-Day was a highly complex operation involving all three services and thousands of civilian workers. There really was some fantastic creativity to bring it all together. It was an enormously significant day in the history of the Second World War and was conceived months before 6 June and the battle for Normandy and went on for many months after."

Chris delivers the talks for free, but asks for a voluntary charitable donation to our charity. He says:

"Every group I speak to has been very generous in its support. Up to the end of February, I’ve raised £2,370."

Chris continues:

“Secondly, the audience has an enjoyable and interesting evening and thirdly I can raise awareness for a fantastic charity and hopefully raise a bit of money to support blind veterans who have served their country.

“My talks are always well received; groups often book me to return to give another of my talks which is fantastic.”

When Chris retired he started volunteering at the Churchill War Rooms in London and then four years ago at the Battle of Britain Bunker in Uxbridge. It is here that he gives regular talks to visitors about the Battle of Britain and the pivotal role played by personnel at this historic site throughout the Second World War. 
  
Chris is a member of the British Modern Military History Society (BMMHS) and it was through them that he discovered our charity and made the decision to support us. 
 
The BMMHS has supported us for a number of years, donating a percentage of the proceeds of the three books in their ‘Glimpses of War’ series which include the stories of blind veterans. 
 
Chris is based in Berkshire and also spends time in South Wales and will travel a reasonable distance to deliver talks in person or is able to deliver via Zoom. 
 
If you would like further details of these talks or to enquire about booking a talk you can contact Chris.