Legacies of war

The day has special significance in a year which marks so many military milestones. We are about to commemorate the centenary of the start of the First World War, we have just paid tribute to the 70th anniversary of D-Day, and we expect to see, by the end of this year, British combat troops returning home from Afghanistan.

All of these conflicts have left a different legacy, which the Sussex branch of SSAFA is proud to honour. SSAFA was the only military charity to have served our armed forces’ community throughout all of these wars, and many others.

Although we may be moving into a more peaceful period for our servicemen and women, the long-term impact of war will remain. We have recently been reminded of our veterans who served at D-Day and are soon to be reminded of the lost generations of the First World War. We don’t know how those who have served in more recent conflicts will cope as time goes on, but we know they will need us, as surely as those who fought in past conflicts.

Each year, the Sussex branch of SSAFA supports around 600 veterans of all ages, including those who fought in the Second World War and many other conflicts in the intervening years, those who did national service — and their dependents. But we are already seeing growing numbers of younger veterans coming forward with problems that are increasingly complex.

Richard Cossins, secretary,

SSAFA Sussex

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