VC hero leads 100-mile march back from Europe to mark Armistice Day

The first living recipient of the Victoria Cross for 36 years has said he owes his medal to those who sacrificed their lives during the First World War.
Johnson Beharry with the Duchess of CornwallJohnson Beharry with the Duchess of Cornwall
Johnson Beharry with the Duchess of Cornwall

Johnson Beharry, who was honoured for his service in Iraq in 2005, is calling on members of the public to join a group of 100 veterans and serving military personnel on a 100-mile walk to the Cenotaph to mark 100 years since the end of the conflict.

“The men and women who sacrificed their lives in the First World War gave me the platform I’m standing on today and gave me the privilege to wear a VC on my chest,” Sgt Beharry, 39, said.

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“I would like to know I did my best to support those who didn’t come back and those who came back broken.”

Walkers, including veterans, and current servicemen and women, will set off from the Menin Gate on the morning of November 7 before making their way to the Belgian coast and then from Dover to the Cenotaph on Armistice Day.

Organisers from the military charity Haig Housing Trust want people to join in as the group travels through towns and villages. Celebrities including former Hull City footballer Dean Windass are taking part.

Sgt Beharry, still a serving soldier, came to England from Grenada, aged 19 and says the Army saved him from a life of drugs and gangs.