A BLIND veteran from Nottinghamshire is set to mark Remembrance Sunday with the charity Blind Veterans UK in Llandudno.

Tony Hebditch, 70, is spending Remembrance Sunday with more than 40 fellow blind veterans who are supported by Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-service men and women.

The group is taking part in the charity’s annual Military Week at their Centre of Wellbeing in Llandudno which brings together blind veterans from across the UK for a week-long break, taking part in military themed activities, modern and historical warfare presentations and museum visits.

The group are then supported to take part in the town’s Remembrance Parade on Remembrance Sunday, which is a significant event for veterans and the local community.

Tony joined the Army straight from school at the age of 15.

  • If you, or someone you know, served in the Armed Forces, including National Service, and are now struggling with sight loss, call 0800 389 7979 or visit  blindveterans.org.uk/apply

He joined the Royal Artillery as a junior tradesman in Rhyl and on completion of his training as a driver and signalman he was posted to the 27 Royal Artillery Regiment in Lippstadt, Germany.

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Tony served for six years which also included two postings in Northern Ireland.

He says: “I enjoyed my time in the military, I made a lot of friends who I was close to as we were comrades in arms.”

Tony lost his sight in 2016 at the age of 63 in an accident while working as a lorry driver.

In an instant, Tony’s life was turned upside down and he lost his left eye, use of his left hand and the lens in his right eye.

He says: “Something went bang that day and suddenly I couldn’t see. It was incredibly hard to adjust at first but I was put in touch with Blind Veterans UK; they swept me up and changed my life.”

Tony started receiving support from the charity in 2017.

He says: “Blind Veterans UK has helped me immensely and given me my life back. It sounds strange but with their support they’ve given me my sight back but with a white cane.

“When I first arrived at the Llandudno Centre for my induction week, I felt out of place. I’d left the Army back in 1976 and felt like I wouldn’t belong with this military charity. But fellow blind veteran Billy Baxter took me by the scruff of the neck and changed all my name tags to ‘Sponge’ which was my nickname when I was serving and knew I was welcome and would feel at home.

“The equipment I’ve been provided with has given me back the confidence to do things for myself. They’ve given me a slow cooker and lessons on how to fend for myself in the kitchen. I treat myself to a cup of coffee every morning with the help of a liquid level indicator so I don’t overfill the cup and burn myself. My bathroom has been transformed into a wet room and I’ve been taken to play golf and to drive vehicles.

“All these small things make a huge difference. It is just marvellous what the charity does and nothing is too much for the staff.”

Tony has been to the Cenotaph in London with the charity twice but this will be his first time of visiting the centre in Llandudno for military week.

He says: “When you march out of Horse Guards, you get goosebumps, I can feel them rising now as I speak about it. Everyone is cheering and a real sense of pride takes over.

“I am over the moon to be alongside my fellow blind veterans in Llandudno this Remembrance Sunday and I’m sure I will get a similar feeling. I am so proud to be with Blind Veterans UK and I honestly don’t know what mine and my wife’s life would be like without them.

“Nothing is impossible is what I have learnt; it took me 20 minutes the other day to change a lightbulb, but I did it. I can do anything if I put my mind to it and I want to try everything.”

Chief Executive of Blind Veterans UK, Adrian Bell says: “At Remembrance we commemorate the brave sacrifice of all those who lost their lives for their country. We also reflect on the huge challenges faced by veterans living with life-changing injuries from their time in service.

“I’m proud to be marching alongside our contingent of over 40 blind veterans at the Cenotaph this year, and I know there will be many, like Tony, attending moving ceremonies in communities up and down the country.

“This year marks important anniversaries for our veterans, not least the 20th anniversary since the invasion of Iraq and 70 years since the end of the Korean War. With these in mind, we will be particularly thinking of all those tragically lost and wounded in these conflicts, and of their families.”

Blind Veterans UK supports thousands of blind veterans across the country, but knows there are many thousands more who still need its support to rebuild their lives after sight loss.