VILE ATTACK ON OUR WAR DEAD'S MEMORY

WHILE vandals daubed a Nazi swastika and SS insignia on a Worthing war memorial, 110-year-old Henry Allingham '“ Britain's oldest man '“ was making the long journey to France to honour World War One's war dead.

The sickening vandalism, which caused national outrage, was discovered on Saturday morning, and although much of the graffiti was removed by the time ex-servicemen gathered at the memorial for Remembrance Sunday, faint outlines of the daubed symbols could still be seen. Racist graffiti was also painted on nearby shops close to the memorial in Chapel Road.

While the drama unfolded, Mr Allingham, the oldest of a handful of surviving British servicemen from the First World War, was making the pilgrimage to France. He was an 18-year old aircraft mechanic in 1914 and travelled to France to lay a wreath in honour of his fellow flyers from the UK and the Commonwealth.

Worthing man Dennis Goodwin, founder and chairman of the World War One Veterans' Association, who accompanied Mr Allingham to the areodrome in St Omer, summed up the stark contrast of the two acts.

"While this person or persons were desecrating the memory of those who died fighting for freedom, Henry, at 110-years old, was showing his bravery by travelling to France to lay a wreath in honour of those British and Commonwealth flyers of World War One."

Mr Goodwin, with whom Mr Allingham lives, continued: "What the person who did this needs to understand is the men who died in the wars gave them the right to make such a statement.

"I think they should dig themselves a trench, fill it with water and stand in it for a week '“ even then they would only just begin to understand what it was like."

For the full story see this week's Gazette.