TIMES.KY

Cayman Islands, Caribbeanand International News
Saturday, Feb 22, 2025

Captain Tom becomes Colonel Tom for his 100th birthday

Captain Tom Moore has become a national hero for raising almost £30 million for NHS Charities Together – but we might have to get to know him by another title.
The inspirational war veteran, who turns 100 today, has been appointed as an honorary colonel of the Army Foundation College in Harrogate to mark his milestone.

Chief of the General Staff General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith made the appointment, which has been approved by the Queen, in order to inspire the next generation of soldiers.

Captain Tom was informed of the promotion in a letter presented by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Miller, the commanding officer of the 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment at his home in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire.

The veteran, who was born in Keighley, served with the 8th Battalion The Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment, which is now part of The Yorkshire Regiment.

His centenary is also being marked by two military flypasts, while a Great Western Railway intercity express train has been named in his honour and his local postbox had been repainted in the colours of the NHS.

Well-wishers have also sent him more than 125,000 birthday cards, which are being stored at his grandson’s secondary school.

Captain Tom set out to raise £1,000 for the NHS by walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday. His fundraising captured the nation’s heart during the coronavirus lockdown.

Since then he has also become the oldest person to land a number one single with his cover of You’ll Never Walk Alone, recorded alongside Michael Ball and the NHS Voices of Care Choir.

As honorary colonel, he will be invited to speak to junior soldiers at Harrogate, ensuring his example is passed on to the next generation of soldiers.

The centenarian, who is now entitled to use the rank of colonel, was also presented with a replacement Second World War Defence Medal ahead of next week’s VE Day celebrations.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: ‘Captain Tom is simply inspirational and I am absolutely delighted the Army has honoured him in such a fitting manner.

‘He not only embodies the spirit of our incredible veteran community, but the resolve of this nation.

‘During these unprecedented times, he has reminded us all hardship is easier endured when we place the needs of others above our own, and approach everything with a smile.

‘Like millions of others, I put my hand in my pocket for his incredible fundraising feat that will do such good for the NHS working on the front line of this battle right now.

Ahead of VE Day 75, it is fitting that we are once again looking to the Second World War generation to show us the way.’

General Carleton-Smith said: ‘His mature wisdom, no-nonsense attitude and humour in adversity make him an inspirational role model to generations young and old.

‘I am delighted he has accepted the honorary colonelcy of the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, where our 16 and 17-year-olds are trained and educated to be the future leaders of the Army.’
Newsletter

Related Articles

TIMES.KY
0:00
0:00
Close
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Israel: Unprecedented Civil Disobedience Looms as IDF Reservists Protest Judiciary Reform
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Italian Court's Controversial Ruling on Sexual Harassment Ignites Uproar
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
BBC Personalities Rebuke Accusations Amidst Scandal Involving Teen Exploitation
A Swift Disappointment: Why Is Taylor Swift Bypassing Canada on Her Global Tour?
Historic Moment: Edgars Rinkevics, EU's First Openly Gay Head of State, Takes Office as Latvia's President
Bye bye democracy, human rights, freedom: French Cops Can Now Secretly Activate Phone Cameras, Microphones And GPS To Spy On Citizens
The Poor Man With Money, Mark Zuckerberg, Unveils Twitter Replica with Heavy-Handed Censorship: A New Low in Innovation?
Unilever Plummets in a $2.5 Billion Free Fall, to begin with: A Reckoning for Misuse of Corporate Power Against National Interest
Beyond the Blame Game: The Need for Nuanced Perspectives on America's Complex Reality
Twitter Targets Meta: A Tangle of Trade Secrets and Copycat Culture
The Double-Edged Sword of AI: AI is linked to layoffs in industry that created it
US Sanctions on China's Chip Industry Backfire, Prompting Self-Inflicted Blowback
Meta Copy Twitter with New App, Threads
The New French Revolution
BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Application Refiled, Naming Coinbase as ‘Surveillance-Sharing’ Partner
×