War tales display marks Poppy Appeal milestone

Thursday 3 November 2011

ERIC Gurr, 84, is one of several veterans whose experiences of war are being told as part of a new photographic exhibition celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Scottish Poppy Appeal.

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Mr Gurr, who served with the Argyll and Southern Highlanders in the Korean War, was injured on November 5, 1950, after being shot several times during an ambush. He had to pretend he was dead in a desperate bid to remain alive and was one of only three people from his platoon to survive the assault.

His tale is among the 50 Unforgettable Stories told through photographs by Trevor and Faye Yerbury. Serving soldiers and supporters of the poppy appeal also feature in the exhibition at Princes Mall in Edinburgh, which asks people: “What does the poppy mean to you?”Mr Gurr’s response was: “It is 90 years since the Royal British Legion poppy appeal was founded to help ex-servicemen and women with pensions, employment and housing. Most of all it helps people affected by combat and hard times. “All donations to Poppyscotland stay in Scotland and whether we agree or disagree with the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, we should support the poppy appeal.”Poppyscotland has appealed for members of the public to feature in the exhibition and recount their stories of the poppy’s meaning. Helen O’Brien, who lives in Burntisland, said the poppy reminds her of her grandfather, Charles Spicer, who fought in the Second World War. Ms O’Brien said: “He was a navigator on a Lancaster Bomber with 116 Squadron and rarely spoke of his time in the war. He did once admit he had to become a navigator because he kept crash-landing when flying the training planes. “Grandad would without fail wear his poppy in November to remember the friends he lost. I wear my poppy, remembering my granddad and his two brothers whom I can honour in my own small way each November.”The exhibition runs until the end of the month.

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War tales display marks Poppy Appeal milestone

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