SHINE BRIGHT BRODIE
Comrades pay tribute to hero medic
COMRADES of a hero Scots army medic held a poignant tribute to her on the first anniversary of her death in Iraq.
Soldier Brodie Gillon was just 26 when she was killed alongside two US soldiers last March after a rocket attack by Iranian militia on her coalition base in the north of Baghdad.
Pals from her unit – the Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry – paused to light a candle in her memory.
They posted: “Twelve months ago, we lost Lance Corporal Brodie Gillon when she was tragically killed in action while deployed on operations in Iraq.
“No words can express our sorrow enough or bring comfort for the loss of such a vibrant young woman, who gave her life in the service of her country. Shine bright, Brodie.”
Brodie, a sport therapist, joined the Army reserves in 2015 and was deployed to the Camp Taji in 2019. She had volunteered to join the Irish Guards Battle Group as part of Operation Shader, a non-combat mission to train Iraqi troops.
She died after more than a dozen rockets were fired into the base. Several other coalition troops were hurt. Brodie was the first British female soldier to be killed as part of the operation.
Her sister Fern Gillon, 29, has previously spoken of her family’s loss. She said: “Brodie was so caring, so loving. She was so full of life, so energetic.
“When I sit with tears rolling down my face, I can almost hear her telling me to stop getting upset – to pull myself together. But her death still feels so raw.
“Brodie saw being in the Army as a great opportunity to see places and do things she would never normally get the chance to do – and she loved it.”
PRESSURE is growing on Matt Hancock to honour a pre-election promise to give £1.6billion to fund research into dementia.
The Health Secretary had vowed to double the amount of research cash in the hope of finding a cure.
He said the UK would spend a total of £1.6billion over the next decade – an extra £83million a year.
But his pledge – revealed three weeks before the General Election in 2019 – has yet to be honoured.
Dr Richard Oakley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “It has been over a year since the
Government made a commitment to double dementia research funding.
“Despite the Chancellor talking of his desire to create a scientific superpower, we are still waiting for plans on how they aim to deliver this.
“In the Budget, we were disappointed that, yet again, the urgent need for this funding was ignored. Coupled with decades of under-funding, the research community has been badly hit by the pandemic, so the Government’s commitment to double its investment in dementia research is needed now more than ever.”
Hancock had said the funds would form part of what he described as a “dementia moonshot” – the hunt for a cure.
The Department of Health and Social Care said: “We are working across government and with the sector on ways to significantly boost further research into dementia.”
HOME insurance claims involving hot tubs nearly tripled last year as people spent more time in their homes and gardens during the pandemic.
The figures were released by insurer Aviva, which analysed its own claims data and found a 188 per cent year-on-year increase in accidental damage claims for hot tubs. Claims it accepted included a grass strimmer bursting an inflatable tub, birds pecking holes in a spa cover and an engagement ring ripping a tub lining.
Falling parasols have also caused hot tub trouble, as have people tripping over them.
The insurance giant said it also received a small number of claims for stolen hot tubs.