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Suffolk veteran, 100, meets Princess Anne at Guards Memorial

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 18 Oct, 15:02 · Archive

John Barber, a 100-year-old Irish Guards veteran from Suffolk, met Princess Anne at the rededication of the Guards Memorial in London.

John Barber, a 100-year-old veteran from Suffolk, met Princess Anne at the rededication of the Guards Memorial in central London. The ceremony marked 100 years since the memorial was first unveiled in 1926, when 15,000 First World War veterans attended the original event.

Mr Barber served with the Irish Guards from 1944 to 1948, and told reporters it was his second time meeting the Princess Royal. He spoke briefly about his time stationed in Palestine in 1947, saying: 'The thing that upsets me most about Palestine is that that's still going on.' He described the ceremony as 'a great honour to be at'.

Princess Anne, Senior Colonel of the Household Division, led the ceremony and delivered an address to veterans, serving guardsmen and Chelsea Pensioners. She said: 'As we gather here a century later, our foremost purpose remains to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We honour the officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the Guards division who lay down their lives in the service of King and country.' The memorial, designed by Gilbert Ledward, features five life-size bronze figures representing the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish, and Welsh Guards, with the bronze made from captured German artillery.

Suffolk veteran, 100, meets Princess Anne at Guards Memorial
Image: East Anglian Daily Times

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In this story: John Barber · Princess Anne · Guards Memorial · Irish Guards · Suffolk

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