Be nice to those with war scars
VETERAN MARK CORETH COULDN’T TALK ABOUT FALKLANDS FOR 20 YEARS
IN the 40th year since the Falklands War, veteran Mark Coreth wants this year’s Royal British Legion Cenotaph March Past on Remembrance Sunday to encourage Brits to “look after each other”.
The former Troop Leader of B Squadron cheated death as part of the Blues and Royals Cavalry when he led a diversionary attack to allow the Scots Guards to take Mount Tumbledown, and a landmine went off.
Mark says: “For all servicemen and wider family it’s an emotional time of year.
“I can’t believe this year is the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War.
“I was a 23-year-old boy in charge of two troops of soldiers, which was a lot of responsibility.
“When you’re marching past the Cenotaph with so many people wearing the Falklands/South Atlantic medal so many memories come back.
Dangers
Mental health is a big issue for the troops
“I know the dangers I was in and about the landmine that blew me up but you see other people and think, ‘what’s your story?’ as a lot of damage happens to servicemen which is invisible.”
While addressing it now is more commonplace, many service people have struggled with the aftereffects of conflict.
Mark says: “Mental health is a big issue.
“I couldn’t talk about the Falklands for 20 years.
“A good troop looks after each other – no-one is more important and that’s why it’s vitally important for those marching to know we will be a team.
“What the British Legion does to bring people today is vital. We are in a cost of living crisis but every penny that goes into the boxes helps the cause.
“Today’s soldiers can be as badly damaged as yesterday’s.”
The 10-week Falklands War between Argentina and the UK in 1982 came close to taking Mark’s life.
He recalls: “We shouldn’t have survived that landmine – we were very lucky.
“We ended up being in a heavy artillery barrage; adrenaline was pumping.
“I found a hole in the road and it was a gamble if it was a trap or not. And I got it wrong – we blew up. In the end the pressure of that engagement does get to you, and it’s never left. “I went back for the 20th anniversary and at that point revisiting the island put a number of spooks to bed. “The most important lessons were respect for each other and so much of service life you bring into civilian.” King Charles and members of the Royal Family will attend Remembrance Sunday’s Royal British Legion annual March Past The Cenotaph for British and Commonwealth former military and civilian Service personnel, who
honour the fallen of the British Armed Forces involved in the two World Wars and all conflicts since. It won’t be the first time Mark, who has carved out a career as a sculptor post service, has had a brush with royalty. The 64-year-old, who was born in Kenya and now lives in Tisbury, Wilts, with his wife, says: “I have met the royals on different occasions but once I made a sculpture of Frankel, the racehorse, which was being unveiled at Ascot. “The Queen had such a twinkle in her eve as she said she gathered I hadn’t made horses before. She said: ‘Let’s see how you’ve done’ then pulled the veil off. I got that deep, heartfelt grin that the Queen had in her as she said: ‘Splendid.’ “And 25 minutes later, we were still talking. What a fine monarch she was.” ●The Royal British Legion is paying tribute to Her Late Majesty The Queen during Remembrance this year in honour of her military service and unwavering commitment to the Armed Forces community. The RBL is remembering The Queen’s extraordinary support as the charity’s patron for 70 years, her own military service, and her role as Head of the Armed Forces.