Doncaster veteran joins scaled-back Remembrance service at National Memorial Arboretum

Darren Burton, a former Lance Corporal with the Royal Pioneer Corps said he had come to the memorial in Staffordshire to “pay respects” to friends who had lost their lives.

The 59-year-old served in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Belize and Germany, from 1979 to 1988.

He said: “I’ve come here to pay my respects to the fallen, a couple of mates whose names are up on the wall (of the Armed Forces Memorial).

“So I’m going to go up and say hello to them later on.”

Asked about his feelings on Remembrance Sunday, he added: “(I’m) very emotional; sad, happy.

“You think of the bad times and you think of the good times.”

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced scaled-down acts of remembrance across the country this this year.

About 200 pre-booked guests gathered for the socially-distanced service at the foot of the outdoor arboretum’s main Armed Forces Memorial, in Alrewas, Staffordshire earlier today.

The service would usually attract thousands of people but for those unable to attend because of coronavirus this year, it was live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube.

In Doncaster, the annual service at the War Memorial in Bennetthorpe was scrapped, along with the traditional parade through the town centre.

A number of people still attended at 11am to pay their respects in a socially distanced manner while Civic Mayor Coun Paul Wray laid a wreath on behalf of the town.