
WW2 veteran urges Salford children to 'be kind and choose peace'
A 103-year-old World War Two veteran has urged the next generation of children to "be kind and choose peace" after explaining war was "truly terrible". Tom Jones gave the warning in a letter to primary school pupils in Worsley, Salford, where he went to share his experiences of fighting in the conflict. The Bombardier, who was called up to the Royal Artillery aged 17 in 1939, said war was "not glorious", but a "hard time, and added: "I had to grow up fast." He is one of several surviving people who fought in WW2 to write to schools ahead of the 80th anniversary of VE Day, with pupils encouraged to write back to forge lasting connections with veterans.
Mr Jones met the children at James Brindley Community Primary School to read some of his letter and show them his Morse code machine. The wireless operator fought in both the Burma War and World War Two,Some of the pupils said they planned to write back to him and say "we appreciate everything you have done for us", and to let him know he was "so brave" to go to war at such a young age. Mr Jones told the BBC he had "really enjoyed" coming to the school to tell the youngsters "what it was like".
The visit came as part of a push by charity the Together Coalition to build lasting connections between children and the UK's few remaining World War Two veterans and hear their first-hand accounts. Schools have been invited to sign up to the 'VE Mail' project, where pupils receive a letter from veterans setting out their wartime experiences and then write back.
'Baton of memory'
Mr Jones said the initiative was a "major opportunity to pass the baton of memory and of meaning to the next generation". He said: "Eighty years ago we were part of something historic; a victory in Europe and in Asia that protected democracy and our country for our whole lifetime. "The victory meant the world to us at the time - but the values are as relevant today as they were then."Kate Stokes, head teacher at James Brindley Community Primary School said Mr Jones' letter had "brought the past to life" and created a meaningful link between the children and "those to whom we owe so much". "As they write their letters in return, they reflect on the sacrifices made and express their gratitude—an incredibly powerful and moving experience that will stay with them for years to come," she said.
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Telegraph
John Simpson: I got Frederick Forsyth sacked from the BBC
John Simpson has claimed that he engineered Frederick Forsyth's sacking from the BBC for spreading 'propaganda' about the Biafran War. Forsyth, who died earlier this week, maintained that he quit his job as a BBC foreign correspondent because he was fed up with his bosses, who thought he was biased in favour of the Biafran fight for independence. But Simpson, the BBC's world affairs editor, says he was instrumental in Forsyth's exit, and suggested that Forsyth might never have written The Day of the Jackal were it not for his intervention. He wrote on X, formerly Twitter: 'The Times obit on Freddie Forsyth says he left the BBC in 1967 because he displeased powerful people by his reporting from Biafra. Not quite. 'As a very junior BBC subeditor, I spotted how he was introducing Biafran propaganda into his reports and told my boss. Forsyth was sacked – and went on to write one of the best thrillers ever.' The Times obit on Freddie Forsyth says he left the BBC in 1967 because he displeased powerful people by his reporting from Biafra. Not quite. As a very junior BBC subeditor I spotted how he was introducing Biafran propaganda into his reports and told my boss. Forsyth was… — John Simpson (@JohnSimpsonNews) June 11, 2025 Writing for The Telegraph more than 20 years ago, Simpson said: 'As an extremely lowly subeditor in the BBC radio newsroom, I had to put Mr Forsyth's Biafran dispatches on the air. 'Even at the age of 23, I could see that he had accepted the Biafran line entirely. He was reporting propaganda as fact. 'Eventually he announced, without any qualification, that Biafra had shot down (as far as I remember) 16 federal Nigerian aircraft. 'The newsroom copy of Jane's All The World's Aircraft said that the federal air force possessed only 12.' Forsyth joined the BBC in 1965, first as a radio reporter then as the assistant diplomatic correspondent for BBC Television. When war broke out between Nigeria and the secessionist Republic of Biafra, he was dispatched there for three months. Writing in 2020 to mark the 50th anniversary of the war's end, Forsyth said he realised within days of arriving in Biafra that the BBC had swallowed British government propaganda. Harold Wilson's government supported Nigeria in its fight against the Biafran forces. Forsyth said: 'My brief was to report the all-conquering march of the Nigerian army. It did not happen. 'Naively, I filed this. When my report was broadcast our high commission complained to the CRO [Commonwealth Relations Office], who passed it on to the BBC – which accused me of pro-rebel bias and recalled me to London. 'Six months later, in February 1968, fed up with the slavishness of the BBC to Whitehall, I walked out and flew back to West Africa.' He said that 'every reporter, peer or parliamentarian who had visited Biafra and reported on what he had seen was smeared as a stooge'. Forsyth later wrote a non-fiction book, The Biafra Story (1969), and used some of his experiences there to inform his third novel, The Dogs of War. The conflict officially ended in 1970. It caused an estimated one million civilian deaths from starvation after the Nigerian federal government cut off food supplies to Biafra. Forsyth remained 'haunted' by what he had seen there, saying: 'Sometimes in the wee small hours I see the stick-like children with the dull eyes and lolling heads, and hear their wails of hunger and the low moans as they died. 'What is truly shameful is that this was not done by savages but aided and assisted at every stage by Oxbridge-educated British mandarins… with neutrality and diplomacy from London it could all have been avoided.'


Wales Online
5 hours ago
- Wales Online
'Ambitious and bright' hiker died after falling from Welsh peak as friends watched on in horror
'Ambitious and bright' hiker died after falling from Welsh peak as friends watched on in horror Maria Eftimova died after falling nearly 65ft from Tryfan in Eryri Maria Eftimova tragically lost her life after falling from Tryfan in Eryri (Image: UGC ) An "ambitious and bright" hiker died after she tripped and fell from mountain in Eryri, an inquest heard. Witnesses at the inquest into the death Maria Eftimova recounted the tragic last moments of her life before she fell from Tryfan on February 22, 2025. One witness told the inquest that the 28-year-old fell off the rockface, flying over him as he "froze". Another witness said Ms Eftimova was in a "freefall". It is understood that the Ms Eftimova, who worked as a civil engineer, fell nearly 65 feet to her death, suffering severe head injuries. At an inquest hearing in Caernarfon, senior coroner for north west Wales, Kate Robertson concluded Ms Eftimova's death was accidental, reports North Wales Live. The inquest was told that Ms Eftimova was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, was a British Citizen who lived in St Helens, and had graduated from the University of Salford. Don't miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here Harry Jones, who was hiking with Ms Eftimova, said in a statement that he had joined a group of 20 hikers before they set off up Tryfan at 9am that day. Tributes have since been paid to the 'ambitious, bright and cherished' woman Article continues below While on the hike, Mr Jones and Ms Eftimova, along with another five hikers, split from the rest of the group attempting to take a harder route to the summit. The rest of the group chose to take an easier route for the summit. Mr Jones said: "We travelled in single file, moving from ledge to ledge, once the person in front had vacated it." Another hiker, named Neil Oakes was ahead followed by Maria, and then Mr jones at the back. Mr Jones said: "I could see on one particular ledge Maria stopped in order to get a handhold. To pull herself up. I was six feet below her, to the left. "She swung her right leg up to pull herself up. I asked 'Got it well?' and she said 'I think so'." However, Mr Jones said that he then saw Ms Eftimova "flying over me" going down the mountain side. Mr Jones added that he "completely froze". The inquest was told that the other hikers then came down, lowering Ms Eftimova to a safer ledge, and called 999. One of the fellow hikers continued to give CPR to Ms Eftimova until Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team (OVMRT) members arrived followed by a helicopter. Another fellow hiker, Neil Oakes, said in a statement he was also part of the small group which had chosen to go through the Grade 2 route. Mr Oakes was ahead of Ms Eftimova. Mr Oakes said: "I turned and saw Ms Eftimova tumbling through the air below me. She was already in freefall. I knew there was going to be an impact on the rocky outcrop below so I turned away for a split second. I was shouting 'No, no, no, no.' "When I turned back she was on the ledge below. I knew that it was serious. (Another hiker above) said 'What?" and I said 'She's gone. She's fallen'. I was in shock." Consultant histopathologist Dr Muhammad Zain Mehdi carried out a post mortem examination at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. The doctor found that Ms Eftimova sustained severe head injuries. He said in a report that there was external damage to the brain including the brain stem which led to death. Dr Mehdi concluded that Ms Eftimova died due to a laceration to the brain, caused by a fractured skull due to a fall. The coroner concluded that Ms Eftimova's death was accidental. The coroner said: "It seems that Maria was scrambling with others when she has unintentionally and unexpectedly fallen and during the course of that fall she has sustained the injuries which have sadly led to her death." The coroner described Ms Eftimova as "bright and conscientious" and extended her sincere condolences to Ms Eftimova's family, who had joined the hearing via a video link with a Bulgarian interpreter, and her friends. The inquest had been told earlier that Ms Eftimova was a civil engineer for the Costain group, while her father Rosen Eftimov had stated that she had "snowboarded intensely", had been a surfer, and marathon runner. Ms Eftimova had trained in intensive swimming, winning awards and distinctions. This year in January, she undertook a glacier climbing course in Norway and had also practiced pole dancing, her father said. Following her death, people paid loving tributes to the "ambitious, bright and cherished" woman online. A fundraiser to raise £15,000 to bring Ms Eftimova back to her family in Bulgaria was also launched, garnering £19,389 in donations. The fundraiser's organiser Victoria Critchley said on the fundraising site: "Maria was an ambitious, bright and cherished 28-year-old, whose vibrant personality, energy and aura touched and uplifted all around her. She had a passion for engineering, having studied civil engineering at the University of Salford and a love for extreme sports. Article continues below "Her biggest passion being snowboarding, which she was super excited for and looking forward to doing again on her upcoming trip to Austria. She had an insatiable thirst for life and exploring our world's beauty. Tragically, she was taken from her family far far far too soon!"


Daily Record
6 hours ago
- Daily Record
Raploch war memorial plans take next step as long-running project moves closer
The group behind the memorial plans have found more than 120 men and women who served in World War Two from the area - with hopes to commemorate their sacrifice with a permanent monument. Raploch is stepping closer to achieving its goal of creating a lasting monument to its war dead. Rev Barry Hughes and Raploch Community Council have now lodged a planning application with Stirling Council planners to install the memorial at the north west corner of Raploch Community Campus on Drip Road. A fundraising campaign was launched last year in a bid to raise £30,000 for the war memorial to honour the community's fallen. In 2019, two local residents discovered not only the names of over 60 local men who served their country and were among the fallen of World War II, but also where they had lived in Raploch. This discovery gave the impetus for a project to build a war memorial in the Village Square outside the Raploch Community Campus, to commemorate all those from Raploch who have lost their lives in conflict. The Raploch War Memorial Group formed and then discovered over 120 men and women who also served during World War II and were injured, prisoners of war or awarded and recognised for their actions during service. They also aim to honour these men and women with a history book that has some of the stories they have discovered. The group said last year: 'We are pleased to announce that we are now in a position to begin our fundraising for the war memorial. 'It has taken us longer than we expected but we didn't want to start this process until we had everything in place to begin the official application for planning permission. 'We are hoping to raise £30,000 to fund the construction of the war memorial.' A public consultation in the area in 2022 asked people to vote on a number of options for the memorial. Asked what they would prefer to see on the memorial, 55 per cent said a list of the names of the fallen in all conflicts of the 20th/21st centuries; 30 per cent said a tribute quote to all the fallen in all conflicts; 7.5 per cent opted for only a list of the names of the fallen in World War II; and 7.5 per cent went for 'other'. A second question asking people whether the top two winning designs and quote from a local children's war memorial design competition should be included saw 94.59 per cent of respondents say yes, with 5.41 per cent saying no and 2.7 per cent unsure. The proposals for the permanent memorial to the fallen were dreamt up by local pensioner Mick Lowe and partnerships with local groups including Raploch Community Partnership, St Mark's and St Margaret's, Stirling Council and the Salvation Army have been formed for the project. The project came about after pensioner Mick began researching soldiers to find out more about his dad John, who died in 1948 after being a prisoner of war during World War Two. Mick discovered a total of 68 soldiers who died during the Second World War from Raploch. But the proposals would see a war memorial erected to pay tribute to the casualties from several conflicts who originally hailed from Raploch. Six streets in a new housing development being built in Raploch are also being named after men from the area who died in World War Two. Brewster Crescent, Fairley Crescent, Hulston Road, Turner Street, Spencer Place and McDonald Court, will become lasting legacies of six of those who lost their lives in the conflict, and their fellow fallen comrades from the community. Private Robert Brewster of 21 Hawthorn Crescent, Pte John Fairley of 43D Raploch Road, Pte William Hulston of 8 Hawthorn Crescent, Pte James Turner of 23 Hawthorn Crescent, Pte Ian Spencer of 4 Haig Avenue, and Pte James McDonald of 64 Drip Road are amongst a list of 48 names compiled by Raploch man Mr Lowe. The formal planning application lodged last week states: 'Raploch Community Council wishes to erect a war memorial adjacent to the Raploch community campus building. 'The war memorial will be 2000mm x 1500m wide, will be set on a raised foundation, and then be 2860mm high; it will be made out of sandstone.'