‘It’s important that they are not forgotten, and it’s important that the younger generation keeps the tradition alive’
Geoff Brown at the Asda Mount Pleasant store(Image: Asda)
A Hull charity champion has told of his pride in supporting the Poppy Appeal in honour of three generations of his family who served in the Armed Forces. This Remembrance Sunday will be particularly poignant for Geoff Brown, from the Asda Mount Pleasant store, as he will join store manager Jacqueline Melia to lay a wreath on behalf of the supermarket giant at the nearby Sutton village War Memorial.
Geoff, 54, is especially proud to support the Poppy Appeal as it is a cause close to his heart – his father, grandfather and great-grandfather all served their country in the Armed Forces. He said it was so important that those who made the ultimate sacrifice are remembered.
“I have these stories from my family about the suffering and the sacrifices that these men went through and what they did and sadly there are fewer and fewer of those men who fought in the last war,” said Geoff.
“It’s important that they are not forgotten, and it’s important that the younger generation keeps the tradition alive. The Poppy Appeal is not just about remembrance though but also about the funds to support our veterans whichever conflict or war they’ve been in.
“We need to help them in whatever way we can whether it’s for physical injuries or mental injuries.”
Geoff’s maternal great-grandfather Private Thomas Killen served with the 1st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry during the First World War and received two Distinguished Conduct Medals. In the Second World War he fought with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, an Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army recognised by the grey hackle on their cap.
Meanwhile, his maternal grandfather, Arthur Benjamin Willmott, served in the Royal Sussex Regiment and was part of the defensive rear guard near Dunkirk during the early stages of the Second World War. He lost three fingers as he jumped onto a train to escape after all the boats had evacuated, but he was subsequently captured and taken as a prisoner of war.
His brother, Samuel G. Willmott, an able seaman in the Royal Navy, was killed on June 1, 1940, while helping to evacuate troops from Dunkirk. And Geoff’s late father, Stephen William Brown, served in the Royal Air Force for 12 years.
Geoff, who was a Poppy Appeal organiser for a number in years in Hull, said he’d like to thank customers in the store for their continuing support and added: “My dad was so very proud to serve his nation.”
Did you know you can make Hull Live a preferred source of Hull news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away? Here’s more information about what this means and how to do it – you can also do it straight away by clicking here .