“I have to say, I lost a few friends,” he said. “One in particular I remember, he was killed a day or two before the war ended. That, I must say, affected me quite a bit. You wrote to their families, to say how sorry you were to have to tell them about this.”
Colonel Blum also showed the Duchess photographs, including one of his late wife.
“Sadly, there are fewer and fewer people around now who I’m able to share memories with,” he said. “It’s a fact that when you get to 98, as I am, they’ve mostly gone. Which is sad.
“But I turn out every Remembrance Day. I used to go up to Whitehall, but now I have to do a local parade.”
On the same question, schoolgirl Emily told her: “I think it’s important to remember all of the servicemen and women who risked or sacrificed their life so that we can live freely and happily today.”
Speaking of the past 100 years of poppy collection, the Duchess said: “It’s amazing to think Remembrance has been part of the fabric of society. It’s fantastic that an idea that was initiated then is still relevant today.”
She presented Emily with a Scouts’ Centenary Remembrance Badge. A new award spearheaded by The Duchess, it can be awarded to all those who take a meaningful part in Remembrance, including completing activities such as poppy making or taking part in a local service.
