VC hero in call to back the Long Walk Home

Victoria Cross hero Johnson Beharry said he owes his medal to those who sacrificed their lives during the First World War.

He is calling on Britons to join a group of 100 veterans and serving military personnel on a 100-mile walk to the Cenotaph to mark 100 years since the end of the conflict.

The Iraq war hero – who was the first living recipient of the military’s highest honour for 36 years when he was awarded the VC in 2005 – wants politicians, businesses, celebrities and members of the public to back the Long Walk Home from Ypres, in Belgium.

“The men and women who sacrificed their lives in the First World War gave me the platform I’m standing on today and gave me the privilege to wear a VC on my chest,” said Sergeant Beharry, 39, who won the VC for bravery on the battlefield in Iraq.

Walkers, including veterans, along with current servicemen and women from across the country, will set off from the Menin Gate on the morning of November 7 before making their way to the Belgian coast and then from Dover to London, marching to the Cenotaph on Armistice Day.

Organisers from military housing charity Haig Housing Trust will publish the route and want well-known figures and members of the public to join in as the group travels through villages and towns such as Canterbury, in Kent.

Celebrities including television presenter Melinda Messenger, former professional footballer Dean Windass and singers Kerry Katona and Ralph McTell have offered their support.

Haig Housing is still recruiting walkers, volunteers, and hosts in Kent through its website tlwh.org.uk and is also looking for businesses to help with organisation.

Picture: PA. Victoria Cross hero Johnson Beharry.