Special Poppy Wreath Travels from Cornwall to Normandy to Honour D-Day Veterans

Camborne Redruth Community Hospital Joins Veteran Aware Celebrations

Camborne Redruth Community Hospital has played a significant role in sending a unique poppy wreath on a memorable journey from Cornwall to France. This commemorative gesture marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, which saw over 150,000 British, Canadian, and American troops launch a combined assault on Nazi-occupied France on 6 June 1944.

A Journey of Remembrance

The journey of the wreath began on Armed Forces Day in Falmouth last year. It has since travelled to various sites across Cornwall, known as the Duchy. This Thursday, the wreath will reach its final destination in Normandy, where it will be laid alongside seven other similar wreaths from the UK, NATO, and Commonwealth countries.

Iain Henderson, a Trustee of The Veterans Charity, received the wreath and shared its profound significance:

“Remembrance is any and every day for veterans. There are so many anniversaries that we remember, both locally and nationally. It helps many of us with a sense of purpose and duty still.”

Henderson highlighted the personal connection to his own family history:

“For example, my own uncle landed on D-Day. This wreath will take a trip down the canal to Pegasus Bridge, which is exactly what he did shortly after D-Day. As they passed the bridge, they came under heavy machine gun fire and had to return to the safety of Allied lines. Thankfully, my uncle survived. However, we should remember the many amazing stories and individuals of D-Day and other campaigns.”

Cornish History and Remembrance

Henderson also touched on Cornwall’s own hidden history related to D-Day preparations:

“Cornwall is packed with its own, often hidden history of the build-up to D-D-Day. Some are obvious but perhaps overlooked. You can still see the ramps in Falmouth and Trebah Gardens where the landing craft were loaded, whereas there are very few signs of the huge D-Day storage areas around Shortlanesend.”

The wreath’s journey through Cornwall aims to keep this vital history alive:

“We need to keep remembrance alive before the history is lost. This wreath visiting groups and venues hopefully plays its part in this endeavour.”

Veteran Aware Status for Camborne Redruth

The celebrations at Camborne Redruth also marked the hospital’s new status as Veteran Aware, making it the second hospital within the Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to achieve this recognition. Debbie Richards, Chief Executive, and Sue Greenwood, Matron, unveiled a special plaque to commemorate this achievement.

Sue Greenwood expressed her pride in the hospital’s ongoing support for veterans:

“We are immensely proud of our ongoing work to ensure we recognise veterans, their families and our staff who have served. The D-Day celebrations ensure we remember what our Armed Services have done in the past. This award demonstrates that we wish to do more to support future generations of our serving personnel and veterans, of which many are our own staff.”

Understanding Veteran Aware Status

The Veteran Aware accreditation signifies that the hospital can provide a range of care services for the local Armed Forces community. This status is granted by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance, a group of NHS providers dedicated to identifying and supporting patients with an Armed Forces background.

Debbie Richards emphasised the importance of this commitment:

“This is an acknowledgement of all of our Armed Forces, their service and some of the unique challenges faced by all those who have served and their families. It is a demonstrable commitment to patients, staff and families that we truly care about veterans and that we value their service.”

Camborne Redruth joins Helston Community Hospital in achieving Veteran Aware status. Both hospitals feature plaques that include the King’s crown, symbolising their dedication to honouring veterans.

Moment of Silence

To further honour those who served and lost their lives, the Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s community hospitals will observe a minute’s silence at 11am on Thursday, 6 June. This act of remembrance will be a poignant tribute to the bravery and sacrifices of the D-Day veterans.