From Helmond to Helmand - soldiers past and present share their stories

Tales of war and camaraderie were shared at an event in The Manors Extra Care scheme in Prudhoe this week, when soldiers from conflicts 60 years apart swapped stories in front of an audience of residents.

Manors resident Harry 'Jock' Fraser talked about his experiences in World War II, when as a troop sergeant, he led the liberation of the town of Helmond in the Netherlands, while Colour Sergeant Chris Reeves, a member of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, spoke about the demands on the modern day soldier in the province of Helmand in Afghanistan.

CSgt Reeves was part of a seven strong contingent from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers who visited The Manors.

The soldiers brought some period equipment to the event, to help illustrate Mr Fraser's stories, and they also brought some modern day body armour and weapons to show how a soldier's life has changed down the decades.

The event came about after Anne Leech started work as assistant manager and activities co-ordinator at The Manors. She heard Mr Fraser was keen to share his experiences and asked her soldier son Mark, a Sergeant Major in charge of recruitment in the north of England, to see if some of his comrades would be part of Mr Fraser's talk to residents.
Anne's other son Kevin was killed in a friendly fire incident in the first Gulf War in 1991.

An audience of 40 heard Mr Fraser speak and saw the display of equipment and pictures, with the event proving very popular with residents of The Manors. In the afternoon, children from Adderlane First School spoke to Mr Fraser and other Manors residents about life during the war.

Mr Fraser recalled reaching the Netherlands after being part of the D Day landings in June 1944.

He said: "We got up into Holland to a place called Helmond. It was a much better place than the Helmand where all the fighting is now.

"I was invited back there last September and they took me to the spot where I had jumped down from an armoured car back in 1944. I just felt so sorry for all the lads who did not come back."

Mr Fraser showed off his large collection of medals, including one received on last year's trip to Helmond, recognising his work in liberating the town 65 years previously.

CSgt Reeves, who has served in Helmand, said soldiers were often asked by the public if they had been called upon to kill when in a war zone. He said most soldiers were reluctant to talk about such things.

He said: "It's humbling for us to hear the stories from the past. Things have changed today - the kit and equipment has moved on, but deep down, it's still the same. The friendship, fighting for each other, and you lose friends. We have all done numerous tours of Afghanistan, and it's a very tough job."