Lymington Royal British Legion marks start of Poppy Appeal as Boyd Salmon cuts ribbon at soldier statue at St Thomas’ Church
ONE hundred-year-old veteran Boyd Salmon cut the ribbon at Lymington’s soldier and poppy garden as the town launched its annual appeal.
Crowds gathered at St Thomas’ Church at midday to see ex-sailor and mine clearance officer Boyd – who still has shrapnel lodged in his gut after a wartime explosion – cut the ribbon on a wireframe soldier statue.
Lymington Royal British Legion’s branch secretary Jean Barras said she hoped this year’s appeal would at least match last year’s total of £26,000.
“The ribbon cutting went really well,” she told the A&T. “We brought the wireframe statue from the club up to the church to set up near another statue of a camouflaged soldier sitting with his head in his hands, and a statue of a dog that marks the contributions animals make in conflicts.
“It had been raining most of the morning, which meant we would not haven been able to raise the standard, but at 11.55am the sun came out.
“It was unreal, and it felt like someone up there was on our side.”
Following an exhortation, naval veteran Boyd rose from his wheelchair to cut the ribbon on the display, much to the surprise of Jean: “I thought, ‘wow, he’s still able to do that’. It was very impressive.
Fundraising volunteers also gathered around £200 on the day.
“I think, despite the cost-of-living crisis, there are still a lot of people who want to help and support veterans, many of whom are homeless,” said Jean.
“Last year the Poppy Appeal raised £26,000 and I would like to at least match that this year, but that could be tough with the cost of living.”
All the money raised through the Lymington Poppy Appeal will go to the national charity’s coffers to help former services personnel nationwide.
Lymington-born Boyd served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War on Atlantic and Mediterranean convoys before volunteering to become a commissioned mine clearance officer.
He worked for the Enemy Mining Section based at the former HMS Vernon in Portsmouth and was made a ‘render mines safe’ (RMS) officer at 20.
In 1945, Boyd and a team of explosives specialists were sent to Walcheren Island in the Netherlands, a strategic point at the entrance to Antwerp Port, after it was liberated by the Allies in November 1944.
Boyd and his comrades were helping Dutch forces remove large ordnance left behind after the battle for the island when one detonated just 60ft from him.
Boyd suffered an injury to his stomach from a piece of shrapnel, which is still lodged there and sets off airport metal detectors.
“It sounds nonsense,” Boyd said. “But it just felt like I had been kicked in the stomach.
“I was conscious only for a little while, long enough for my team to come up and exclaim, ‘Christ, sir, you've got it in the gut’.
"I felt I was born lucky that day."
- On Remembrance Day a parade will set out from Lymington’s town hall at 9am to arrive at St Thomas’ Church for 10am. There will be food and entertainment at the town’s legion HQ after a remembrance service at the church.
