| Every person alive today owes a debt of gratitude | | | | charge there should be legendary RSM JC Lord, |
| to the brave men and women, who served in World | | | | general at Sandhurst. Ray gives Lord the credit for |
| War Two. Many sacrificed their lives, others were | | | | keeping his spirits up. |
| maimed and injured in battle, or on the home front. | | | | "Lord got that place organised - with exercise and |
| St Dunstans is a charity founded in 1915, to help blind | | | | discipline, when everyone else had thought all was |
| and visually impaired ex-servicemen to re-build their | | | | lost. He got me a uniform, boots, beret, stripes and |
| lives. Below is the life experience of Ray Sherrif. One | | | | ordered medical orderlies to take me to the |
| of the many ex-servicemen and women,who have | | | | washrooms in morning. He used to come and see me |
| benefited from the kind generosity of the people | | | | at least once a week, and wanted to get me |
| who support St Dunstans. | | | | marching again." |
| This is just one of the many life stories that you | | | | When Ray and the other PoWs at Stalag 11b were |
| can discover about, on the St Dunstans website. | | | | freed, he returned to England. He was sent to |
| Ray Sherrif joined the Oxford and Bucks Light | | | | hospital in Oxfordshire, where he first heard about St |
| Infantry regiment at the age of 16 and his first | | | | Dunstan's. |
| posting was to Bombay, India in 1937. He was still | | | | "I hated the thought of going into anything to do |
| there when war was declared. | | | | with the blind, and white sticks and what have you. I |
| Returning to England, to fight on the home front, | | | | eventually did go along to St Dunstan's centre at |
| Ray left the infantry to join the 3rd Para, in one of | | | | Church Stretton, and I felt very humbled to see the |
| the first airborne divisions: | | | | people there, some much worse off than me. Most |
| "Churchill wanted men to start airborne forces, so I | | | | of my friends, I made there." |
| volunteered for SAS, Paras, Airgunners - I thought | | | | Having joined the army straight from school, Ray |
| that was the best way you were going to get into | | | | had no trade to speak of. St Dunstan's suggested |
| action. By that time, my best friend was a PoW | | | | starting a business, for which they loaned him the |
| already, and in my heart I thought it would be nice to | | | | capital. He set up a tobacconists in Kent with his wife. |
| get over to Germany and help him to escape." | | | | After his wife's became ill, Ray sold the shop and |
| Ray's first jump was six weeks later, into Sicily. He | | | | trained as a telephonist, before taking up a post at |
| describes that time as being "pretty horrible", not | | | | an engineering company where he stayed for the |
| least because they almost got dropped into Mount | | | | next 20 years.Throughout this period, Ray maintained |
| Etna! They returned to England in 1943, and resumed | | | | contact with members of the original 3rd Para, |
| training in Lincolnshire for the next operation. Though | | | | determined to do another jump. He eventually spoke |
| they didn't know it at the time, this would be | | | | to a friend who arranged for Ray to do a tandem |
| Arnhem, where Ray lost his sight. | | | | jump. Ray describes the experience as "thrilling - |
| "We were dropped at Arnhem on 17th September, | | | | completely different to a solo jump." |
| 1944. We got about five miles before we came | | | | Ray has been parachuting ever since, and has |
| under heavy fire and had to take cover. I was in | | | | completed 15 jumps since 1990. His final jump was in |
| charge of a Bren group when an 88 mm landed. It | | | | 2004, for the 60th anniversary of Arnhem. |
| felt as though a handful of gravel had been thrown in | | | | "I think I've tended to get on with life. I've |
| my face. I rubbed my eyes, knowing I was badly | | | | managed to have a go at climbing, long distance |
| injured, though I kept rubbing, thinking - you'll be able | | | | swimming, a five mile swim, 15 marathons, |
| to see in a minute - but nothing happened." | | | | parachuting - I've had a go at most things." |
| During the continued fire fight, Ray was also shot in | | | | After reading about Ray Sherrif`s life. Don`t you |
| the leg. He was taken to a Dutch eye hospital, where | | | | feel proud that our country had such brave and |
| he was treated by one of the best opthamologists in | | | | courageous men in it`s darkest day`s. I know I |
| the country and told he would never see again. | | | | felt a litle ashamed of my own petty credit |
| Though the staff at the hospital tried to keep him | | | | crunch worries and problems in life. Because they |
| from being taken as a prisoner of war, complications | | | | don`t seem so bad after all, compared to the |
| with his leg wound meant he was transferred to an | | | | struggles of heroes like Ray. If you want to help |
| ordinary hospital. | | | | people like Ray. There is a link to the St Dunstan`s |
| Ray eventually ended up at Stalag 11b, a PoW | | | | donation web-page below. Please give |
| camp between Hanover and Hamburg. Incarcerated | | | | generously. |
| with 17,000 other PoWs, Ray thought his time was | | | | I thank you in advance for your kind generosity. |
| up, but it was by lucky circumstance that the man in | | | | |