SSAFA West Yorkshire

22/06/2026

An archive picture from 1940, celebrating Fathers' Day in Canada.
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, was Queen Victoria's seventh child, himself a veteran, and served at Governor General of Canada 1911 - 1916.

Yesterday was also Fathers' Day in Canada.

Happy ! "Wait for Me, Daddy" captures five-year-old Warren "Wh**ey" Bernard, running out of his mother's grasp to his father, Private Jack Bernard.

The photo was taken by Claude P. Dettloff on 1 October 1940 of the British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own Rifles) marching in New Westminster.

Wh**ey's dad survived the European theatre in and came home in October 1945. One casualty of the war was Wh**ey’s parents' marriage; as Jack and Bernice Bernard eventually divorced.

17/06/2026

TODAY IS WATERLOO DAY, commemorating the Duke of Wellington’s decisive victory over Napoleon Bonaparte on 18th June 1815.

Located in Halifax town centre is The Duke of Wellington’s Regimental Memorial, and the inscription “The Havercake” pays tribute the regiment’s nickname of “Havercake Lads”, a name derived from the flat, thin, crisp oatcake consumed by working Yorkshire families.

The image depicts a Recruiting Sergeant of the 33rd Regiment of Foot (1814), with a havercake on his sword, something which became a regimental tradition. Visitors to the Memorial will observe that two of the soldiers are wearing a haverbag, in which they carry their havercakes!

More recently, on 6 June 2026, the Memorial was the focal point of the Royal Yorkshire Regiment’s celebration of its 20th anniversary, to the very day, with a Freedom Parade in Halifax. In exercising its Freedom, troops marched through Halifax Town Centre, in accordance with ancient tradition, with bayonets fixed, drums beating and Colours flying.

It was great to see ACF Cadets from the Halifax Detachment marching, along with Standard Bearers from the DWR Association, with other Association members and their families lining the streets.

Pictured on the saluting dias are Professor Adeeba Malik, HM Lord-Lieutenant for West Yorkshire, along with Councillor Andrew Tagg, Mayor of Calderdale and Lieutenant General Zak Stenning, Colonel of the Royal Yorkshire Regiment.

Fortune Favours the Brave

14/06/2026

Some interesting archive pictures taken on 12 June 1944 as Prime Minister Winston Churchill, accompanied by senior military commanders, visits the Normandy beaches.

09/06/2026

AS WE REMEMBER the successful D-Day landings, spare a thought for the 10,300 Allied casualties (killed, wounded or missing) on the first day, 2,700 of which were UK personnel.

On 7 June 1944, wounded British troops, evacuated from the Normandy beaches after , are helped down the ramp of a landing ship at Gosport in Hampshire.

Gosport served as a critical reception point for the rapid evacuation of Allied casualties from the Normandy beaches. After receiving tea and assistance, injured troops were transferred from landing craft to ambulances, with many being taken to hospital trains.

While wounded returned, Gosport continued its role as a key embarkation point for follow-up forces, with vehicles and supplies still being loaded into Landing Ships Tank (LSTs) for transport to France.

06/06/2026

SSAFA volunteers and personnel from RAF Boulmer came together on Boulmer Beach this week to create a powerful tribute marking the 82nd anniversary of D-Day.
Designed by Soul2Sand in partnership with SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, and RAF Boulmer, the large-scale sand artwork honoured the courage, sacrifice and service of the Armed Forces community, while also highlighting the support available to serving personnel, veterans and military families.
As the tide gradually washed the artwork away, it provided a poignant reminder that while these moments are fleeting, the sacrifices made by generations of service personnel should never be forgotten.
A huge thank you to everyone who took part, including our dedicated volunteers, RAF Boulmer personnel and all those who helped bring this special project to life. SSAFA has been supporting serving personnel, veterans and their families for 140 years. To find out more about the support available, visit our website.

To view the ITV news article, which lasts 2mins 33secs, follow the link provided below.

RAF personnel and SSAFA volunteers create sand artwork for D-Day commemorations in Northumberland

https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2026-06-05/raf-personnel-and-ssafa-volunteers-create-sand-artwork-for-d-day-commemorations

05/06/2026

Bradford City Football Club's Community Foundation reinforces its veteran support credentials by announcing a new, weekly football and support session for veterans in Bradford and the wider district.

"The Home Team" sessions are open to anyone who is service experienced. Delivered by BCFC Community Foundation’s team of qualified football coaches, The Home Team shall provide a consistent space for service-experienced participants to get active, access peer support, attend social events and experience the joy of playing football. The football sessions are open to people of all abilities.

Date: Commencing Tuesday 19th May, then every Tuesday
Time: 6pm - 7pm
Location: Bradford College Sports Centre, Trinity Rd, Bradford BD5 1JG

Register at https://forms.gle/gDX5up6yMWtgLCKq7. Alternatively, for further information get in touch with Andrei Condoiu at 01274-706850

02/06/2026

Phase 1 of the Government’s VALOUR programme resulted in the award of funding to 14 organisations to create VALOUR-recognised centres. One of these awards, amounting to nearly £1million, was made to Glasgow’s Helping Heroes (GHH) to develop its support for serving personnel, veterans, and their families. GHH is a single point of contact support hub operated by SSAFA, in partnership with Glasgow City Council.

Last month, the Minister for the Armed Forces Al Carns DSO OBE MC MP visited the service to meet with staff and beneficiaries, and to recognise SSAFA’s role in the delivery of the VALOUR programme.

Sy Harty, SSAFA’s Glasgow’s Helping Heroes Service Manager, said:
“Glasgow’s Helping Heroes is a flagship service for SSAFA, supporting 550 people a year and helping to ensure our Armed Forces community in the Glasgow area never have to battle alone.
“The successful award of VALOUR funding is testament to the important work that we do; it will enable us to improve our support and expand our impact – ultimately changing the lives of Forces-experienced people for the better.”

Armed Forces Minister, Al Carns, said:
“As a veteran with more than 20 years’ service I understand the challenges many face after leaving the Armed Forces, as well as the unique contribution they continue to make to communities across the UK.
“This new investment through VALOUR will ensure those who have served their country have access to more joined-up support that meets their needs and delivers real impact in their lives. If you are a veteran who needs support, I encourage you to seek help through VALOUR Recognised Centres, who do vital work for our veteran community.”

Phase 2 of VALOUR funding is now underway, with Expressions of Interest (EOI) invited before the closing date of Monday 15 June 2026. Organisations successful with their EOI will then be invited to submit a full application.

Funding is provided by the Office of Veterans’ Affairs, and administered by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust.

27/05/2026

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK BEGAN 26 MAY 1940 and lasted 9 days. Hailed as a tactical victory by the Allies, it was undoubtedly a battle won by German forces, in which the Allies were forced to abandon almost all heavy equipment, tanks and vehicles on the beaches. Around 57,000 Allied troops were captured by Germans.

26/05/2026

AN INVITATION TO A VETERANS' EVENT at Cooper House Care Home, Bradford, which was recently awarded Veterans Friendly Framework (VFF) status. This framework aims to improve social, health and wellbeing outcomes for around 25,000 veterans living in care homes across England.

Details of this celebratory event are set out below.

21/05/2026

TODAY MARKS THE 15th ANNIVERSARY of the last remaining British Forces engaged in Operation Telic (Op TELIC).

UK military operations in Iraq had started with the invasion on 19th March 2003, and whilst the bulk of the mission had ended on 30th April 2009, around 150 troops remained in Iraq until 22 May 2011 as part of the Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission.

Op TELIC was the largest deployment of British forces since WWII. Of the 46,000 troops deployed, 179 British service personnel died serving in the war, with a further 3,500 servicemen and women injured.

On 1st May 2004 Johnson Beharry was driving a Warrior Tracked Armoured Vehicle that had been called to the assistance of a foot patrol caught in a series of ambushes. In displaying “repeated extreme gallantry and unquestioned valour” (citation), Beharry was awarded the Victoria Cross, and became the only recipient of our nation’s highest award for bravery in this war.

Illustrated is the Iraq Medal, showing the "19 Mar to 28 Apr 2003" clasp, awarded to British service and attached personnel who served in Zone 1 (Iraq) during the period that encompassed the duration of initial combat operations.