Pals rally for D-Day veteran robbed during stay in hospital
GENEROUS friends and neighbours have rallied round a D-Day veteran who had £200 stolen from him during a stay in hospital.
Vic Bignell, 94, suffered a broken nose, chipped jaw bone, cuts, bruises and a cracked rip after tripping on a kerb and hitting the pavement.
Passers-by came to his aid and an ambulance took him to hospital.
But when his possessions were returned to him on the ward, his wallet was £200 lighter leaving him with just £20 left out of his pension.
But an anonymous donor has now generously reimbursed the missing money, while an online appeal has also been set up to raise money towards a new jacket and other clothes that had been cut off while he was being given emergency medical treatment.
Disgusting
Former Royal Navy coxswain Mr Bignell said: “I went to get something to eat, had some nice soup, came out of there, walked across the road and that must have been how I fell – right up against the pavement.
“Several people came to help me. Someone called the ambulance and from there I don’t know a great deal.
“They took me off to hospital in the ambulance and my jacket and clothes had to be cut off, as I had a bad fall.
“I got my wallet back minus the £200. I couldn’t believe it.”
The pensioner landed on Gold Beach during the 1944 Normandy invasion and dropped troops and tanks near heavily defended German strongholds.
He suffered the fall near his home in Stubbington, Hants, and was taken to the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth.
Still shaken after his stay in hospital, Mr Bignell said: “If I ever came across the person who took my £200, I dread what I’d say to him.
“They still must have it, doing them a bit of good I suppose – £200 for nothing at all. I don’t think a lot of them. I can’t believe anyone would do such a thing.
“It’s bad enough stealing. In a case like that I think it’s disgusting.”
Outraged friends and neighbours mounted a relief operation to help out their wartime hero.
Someone anonymously dropped off £200 through his letterbox and an appeal has been set up to raise money to replace the clothes cut off Mr Bignell by medics.
Contributions to the appeal can be made via gofundme.com/vic-bignell.
Any cash that is left over will be donated towards the annual pilgrimage to France by the veteran and his D-Day comrades.
The Queen Alexandra Hospital recently revealed that thieves had taken jewellery, bikes and cash worth at least £29,000 from patients between June 2014 and May 2016.
A hospital spokeswoman said: “Patients are advised against bringing valuable items into the hospital.”