Medal for the man who has sold 50,000 poppies
APROUD war veteran who is estimated to have sold as many as 50,000 poppies has been honoured for his amazing achievement.
Henry Gordon, 94, was surprised by the Royal British Legion with a medal and certificate for ‘years of loyal and dedicated assistance to the Poppy Appeal’.
He’s believed to be one of the longest serving poppy sellers in the country after starting in the sixties.
Henry, who joined the British Army as a teenager, has been selling poppies for 50 years.
The Morrisons supermarket in Cheadle Heath is now his regular patch.
The widower, from Edgeley, served as a field gun shell loader during the Second World War with the Royal Artillery. He landed on the Normandy coastline with Allied soldiers after the D-Day invasion of occupied France and also served in Gibraltar and Greece.
Henry, who has eight great-grandchildren, has now put down his poppy collecting box and metal pins, although his family believe he could be coaxed out of retirement this year with their help.
Granddaughter Karen Broadbent, from Great Moor, said he would collect every day every year for a three-week period in the run up to Remembrance Sunday in November.
She said: “It is a cause close to his heart and was always something that he had to do for the Legion. The whole family are very, very proud of him.”
Henry lives in sheltered accommodation at Equity Housing Group’s Runnymede Court.
He accepted the award in front of friends, family, civic dignitaries and representatives of the Royal British Legion.
“It was a huge surprise for him,” said Karen. “He is struggling with his feet now so he has put down his collecting box but he was made up and a bit overwhelmed by it all and with the award.
“We might sit with him however if he wants to go out collecting again this year. I’m sure he will continue to support the Royal British Legion in any way that he can.”
Henry said the award came as a complete surprise.
He said: “The celebration was unknown to me.
“One or two people have kept it all a secret and I didn’t have a clue.
“I have always wanted to support the Royal British Legion because of the work that it does and I have always enjoyed giving something back.”