Latest news with #PeterKent
The Independent
08-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
D-Day veteran, 100, shares wartime memories at VE Day service
A 100-year-old D-Day veteran has shared his powerful memories of the war outside Westminster Abbey, as commemorations took place to mark VE Day. Peter Kent, from Westminster, served in the Royal Navy aboard HMS Adventurer and took part in the Normandy landings. Now one of the last surviving veterans of D-Day, he told the PA news agency: 'So many young boys got killed, so many dead bodies on the beach – it was just a big waste of life. It was terrible.' The father of two, who worked in theatre after the war, said it 'means a lot' to see people still honouring those who served. 'We wouldn't have the freedom we have today if it wasn't for those men,' he said. Peter did not enter the abbey itself, but his son Stephen, 64, said people 'haven't stopped pulling him up asking for his autograph'. Peter also brought along his wartime medals, including France's prestigious Legion of Honour. Inside, the VE Day service drew reflections from religious and military leaders. Reverend Shaw Paterson, moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, said: 'Just the experience of all that's gone before – it was very moving. 'We've got to remember those who gave so much and sacrificed so much all those years ago. 'We must always keep them in mind and keep working for peace.' Lord Lyon King of Arms Joe Morrow, 70, a Royal Navy Reserves chaplain and honorary colonel, described the service as 'absolutely magnificent'. 'What I loved about it was a true sense of unity that came across,' he said. 'Having the King there, the King's Scouts, it was just so special.' Former air marshal Stewart Atha, who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, struck a more cautionary tone. 'This is not a safe world – if you want peace, you prepare for war,' he said. 'That's the lesson from the 1930s, we failed to deter Hitler and we need to make sure we don't make the same mistakes again.' Among the congregation was a group of young people determined to challenge assumptions about their generation. Georgina Heron-Edmends, 19, Henry Hughes, 21, and Sophia Kaur Badhan, 24, from Youth Collaborators, said they were working on a report to influence government strategy. Ms Badhan said: 'There's been some coverage in the media suggesting we aren't interested in VE Day – we're here to challenge that. 'We think it's really important and it's a privilege to be here.'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
D-Day veteran, 100, shares wartime memories at VE Day service
A 100-year-old D-Day veteran has shared his powerful memories of the war outside Westminster Abbey, as commemorations took place to mark VE Day. Peter Kent, from Westminster, served in the Royal Navy aboard HMS Adventurer and took part in the Normandy landings. Now one of the last surviving veterans of D-Day, he told the PA news agency: 'So many young boys got killed, so many dead bodies on the beach – it was just a big waste of life. It was terrible.' The father of two, who worked in theatre after the war, said it 'means a lot' to see people still honouring those who served. 'We wouldn't have the freedom we have today if it wasn't for those men,' he said. Peter did not enter the abbey itself, but his son Stephen, 64, said people 'haven't stopped pulling him up asking for his autograph'. Peter also brought along his wartime medals, including France's prestigious Legion of Honour. Inside, the VE Day service drew reflections from religious and military leaders. Reverend Shaw Paterson, moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, said: 'Just the experience of all that's gone before – it was very moving. 'We've got to remember those who gave so much and sacrificed so much all those years ago. 'We must always keep them in mind and keep working for peace.' Lord Lyon King of Arms Joe Morrow, 70, a Royal Navy Reserves chaplain and honorary colonel, described the service as 'absolutely magnificent'. 'What I loved about it was a true sense of unity that came across,' he said. 'Having the King there, the King's Scouts, it was just so special.' Former air marshal Stewart Atha, who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, struck a more cautionary tone. 'This is not a safe world – if you want peace, you prepare for war,' he said. 'That's the lesson from the 1930s, we failed to deter Hitler and we need to make sure we don't make the same mistakes again.' Among the congregation was a group of young people determined to challenge assumptions about their generation. Georgina Heron-Edmends, 19, Henry Hughes, 21, and Sophia Kaur Badhan, 24, from Youth Collaborators, said they were working on a report to influence government strategy. Ms Badhan said: 'There's been some coverage in the media suggesting we aren't interested in VE Day – we're here to challenge that. 'We think it's really important and it's a privilege to be here.'
Perth Now
01-05-2025
- Perth Now
Police report tells chief constable believed Loch Ness Monster existence 'beyond doubt'
Police dubbed the infamous Loch Ness Monster myth as real "beyond doubt". William Fraser, a former Inverness-shire chief constable, wrote in a report in 1938 that he supported the myth that a mysterious beast called Nessie lurks beneath the Scottish Highlands freshwater loch after two London-based people - Mr. Peter Kent and Miss. Marion Stirling - were "determined" to get hold of it "dead or alive". It was even said that Peter visited Fort Augustus where "he stated that he was having a special harpoon gun made and that he was to return with some twenty experienced men on the 22 of August for the purpose of hunting the Monster down". William said of his belief in the report - which has come back to light after 87 years thanks to Kenny Welsh, from the Loch Ness Centre in the Scottish Highlands: "That there is some strange creature in Loch Ness seems now beyond doubt, but that the Police have any power to protect it is very doubtful. "I have, however, caused Mr. Peter Kent to be warned of the desirability of having the creature left alone, but whether my warning will have the desired effect or not remains to be seen." Reacting to the report, Kenny, from Drumnadrochit, said: "It offers a rare glimpse into how even the police believed there might be something in the water."
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Police believed 'beyond doubt' the Loch Ness Monster was real and tried to deter harpoon-wielding mob, unearthed report reveals
The Police believed 'beyond doubt' that the Loch Ness Monster existed and tried to protect it from a harpoon-wielding mob, an unearthed report has revealed. Documents from 1938 - five years after the first photo purporting to show the rumoured beast was taken - detail efforts by the authorities to safeguard Nessie. According to a letter written by Invernessshire Constabulary chief constable William Fraser, two individuals were attempting to capture Nessie 'dead or alive' using a harpoon gun. He added: 'That there is some strange creature in Loch Ness seems now beyond doubt, but that the Police have any power to protect it is very doubtful.' The officer went on to detail how he warned that the beast should be left alone. The documents were uncovered by Kenny Welsh, a member of The Loch Ness Centre, in Drumnadrochit, Scotland. They pile further intrigue onto what has been a global obsession for decades. The first photo purporting to show Nessie was taken in November 1933, by Scottish man Hugh Gray. He later described what he saw in Loch Ness, near Inverness, as an 'object of considerable dimensions'. Gray's photo came after another man, Loch Ness water bailiff and part-time journalist Alex Campbell, reported on the sighting of an 'enormous creature with the body of a whale rolling in the water in the loch' earlier in 1933. Fraser's letter read: 'It has now come to my notice that a Mr Peter Kent and Miss Marion Stirling, both of London, are determined to catch the Monster dead or alive. 'Mr Peter Kent visited Fort Augustus on Friday, 12 August and was seen there by my Officer stationed at Fort Augustus. 'To whom he stated that he was having a special harpoon gun made and that he was to return with some twenty experienced men on the 22 of August for the purpose of hunting the Monster down. 'That there is some strange creature in Loch Ness seems now beyond doubt, but that the Police have any power to protect it is very doubtful. 'I have, however, caused Mr Peter Kent to be warned of the desirability of having the creature left alone, but whether my warning will have the desired effect or not remains to be seen.' In 1934, a picture taken by London physician Robert Kenneth Wilson captured the world's attention. It showed what appeared to be a beast rearing its head out of the water. It was later exposed as a hoax Mr Welsh discovered the fascinating police report while doing some research. 'I love the 1938 police report - it's a piece of the jigsaw that makes up the story of Loch Ness and our elusive monster,' he told news website What's The Jam. 'It offers a rare glimpse into how even the police believed there might be something in the water.' Nagina Ishaq, general manager of The Loch Ness Centre, said: 'It's fascinating to see the historical local support for Nessie's protection from potential poachers. 'The dedication to ensuring its safety is something that resonates strongly with us here at the Centre. 'As we continue our search, we are committed to doing so in a way that is non-invasive and respectful of the creature and its environment. 'With advancements in technology, such as ROVs, we aim to carry out the search for Nessie in the safest and most careful way possible, ensuring that future generations can experience the wonder of Loch Ness for years to come.' Alan McKenna, of Loch Ness Exploration, added: 'The 1938 police report is a rare moment where the mystery of Loch Ness crosses into official record. 'It reminds us that even authorities couldn't ignore what people claimed to see.' The Nessie mystery could date as far back as 565AD, when Irish missionary Saint Columba was recorded to have encountered a strange water monster in the River Ness, which feeds the famous loch. According to his centuries-old biography, the water beast had slain one man and attacked another when it fled in terror after Saint Columba made the sign of the cross and ordered it back.
Daily Mirror
30-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
Police officers tried to protect Loch Ness Monster from harpoon-wielding mob
A remarkable document written in 1938 shows the former cop was convinced of the Loch Ness Monster's existence and raised the alarm over two men attempting to capture it 'dead or alive' A police report has revealed that officers believed the Loch Ness Monster was real 'beyond doubt' - and even tried to protect it from a harpoon-wielding mob. The remarkable document, written in 1938 by Inverness-shire chief constable William Fraser, shows he was convinced of Nessie's existence and raised the alarm over two men attempting to capture it 'dead or alive.' Unearthed 87 years later by Kenny Welsh of The Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit, Scotland, the letter details how police feared for the creature's safety as rumours of sightings fuelled public frenzy. The letter read: 'It has now come to my notice that a Mr Peter Kent and Miss Marion Stirling, both of London, are determined to catch the Monster dead or alive. "Mr Peter Kent visited Fort Augustus on Friday, 12 August and was seen there by my Officer stationed at Fort Augustus. It continued: 'To whom he stated that he was having a special harpoon gun made and that he was to return with some twenty experienced men on the 22 of August for the purpose of hunting the Monster down. "That there is some strange creature in Loch Ness seems now beyond doubt, but that the Police have any power to protect it is very doubtful. 'I have, however, caused Mr Peter Kent to be warned of the desirability of having the creature left alone, but whether my warning will have the desired effect or not remains to be seen.' Kenny discovered the fascinating police report while doing some research. 'It offers a rare glimpse into how even the police believed there might be something in the water,' Kenny said. Nagina Ishaq, General Manager of The Loch Ness Centre told how it was fascinating to see the historical local support for Nessie's protection from potential poachers. 'The dedication to ensuring its safety is something that resonates strongly with us here at the Centre. As we continue our search, we are committed to doing so in a way that is non-invasive and respectful of the creature and its environment,' she said. Alan McKenna, of Loch Ness Exploration, added: 'The 1938 police report is a rare moment where the mystery of Loch Ness crosses into official record. It reminds us that even authorities couldn't ignore what people claimed to see.'
