Guardsman ‘proud’ to be part of Dame Vera Lynn’s funeral
A WEST London guardsman played a very important role at the funeral of British icon and national treasure Dame Vera Lynn.
Guardsman Rohan Ahmed, 20, from Southall, was one of 12 guardsmen forming the Lining Party, on Friday July 10, outside the crematorium into which the coffin was carried.
The wartime We’ll Meet Again singer passed away on June 18 this year, aged 103.
She was born in East Ham, but her funeral took place in Brighton as it is close to her long-time family home in Ditchling, Sussex.
When British officers imprisoned in Colditz were liberated by the Americans at the end of the Second World War, it was to Winston Churchill, President Roosevelt and Vera Lynn that they raised their glasses.
Guardsman Ahmed has been with Number Seven Company for the past four months. He carried out extensive training for the moment, which was one of the first high-profile ceremonial events of which he was part.
Asked what being involved in Dame Vera’s funeral means to him, he said: “I am hugely proud to be part of what is a historic moment, marking the passing of a great icon of our nation.
“The support that Dame Vera has provided our Armed Forces makes me very proud to be honouring her today.”
The 20-year-old will spend up to nine months in Number 7 Company, before being posted to the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards.
The west Londoner is currently based in Wellington Barracks, next to Buckingham Palace in London, and his primary role is ceremonial.
This includes guarding Royal Palaces and high-profile state occasions, such as the Guard of Honour for the visit of French President Macron recently.
According to the British Army, starting a career with ceremonial duties such as this hones “discipline, attention