Meet 103-year-old John Morris, the only surviving veteran of Britain’s elite Raiding Support Regiment. He has stories to tell, and advice to heed: Europe’s security should never be taken for granted.
Synopsis
Eighty years ago, John Morris was a soldier with the British Army’s Raiding Support Regiment, or RSR, an elite unit dedicated to supporting Special Forces with heavy weaponry as the Allied powers marched towards victory in the Second World War.
Today, at age 103, he still remembers the cost of victory, and the value of what it brought us: a transatlantic defensive alliance that has protected its members for more than 75 years - NATO.
As millions of people commemorate Victory in Europe, we hear from John about the time he spent during the war, where he was when V-E Day was announced on 8 May 1945, and the lessons he thinks the world can learn from that war.
John now lives at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a home for retired soldiers, where he said his new mission is lifting the spirits of those around him and living each day to its fullest.
Transcript
TRANSCRIPT (AUDIO AND TEXT ON SCREEN)
—SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
“I think we're in a very worrying time at the moment. I do my best to talk to children at schools because I think they should know what their forefathers actually gave up for them.
I mean, I remember when I was in the anti-aircraft defence in London, and how London was badly blitzed. How wonderful it looks now, it would be a shame to have it all destroyed again.”
— TEXT ON SCREEN —
103-YEAR-OLD JOHN MORRIS
IS ONE OF BRITAIN’S OLDEST SURVIVING WORLD WAR TWO HEROES
—SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
“I was called up when I was 17.”
— TEXT ON SCREEN —
89TH LIGHT ANTI-AIRCRAFT REGIMENT
“I was with the 89th Regiment.
First of all, that's an anti-aircraft regiment.”
—SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
“Most of the time we were actually on the guns sometimes 12 hours a day, sometimes 16 hours. We used to eat and sleep on the guns. Bombers were coming over all night long, and our job was actually to break the bombers up before they reached London.”
“I went overseas in 1942 and came back in 1946.”
— TEXT ON SCREEN —
JOHN TOOK PART IN MANY CAMPAIGNS
SERVING WITH THE RAIDING SUPPORT REGIMENT
THEY USED HEAVY WEAPONS TO SUPPORT SPECIAL FORCES UNITS
—SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
“We were there supporting each other. We were very, very close. Comradeship.
Rogue heroes.
They called me a rogue hero. I don't know why.
When you’re in Special Forces, you don't really expect to come out alive, to be perfectly honest with you, because you're operating on the enemy lines all the time.”
—SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
“That's the Raiding Support Regiment badge.
My first jump was out of a Wellington bomber through the bomb doors. I think I was pushed out. I wouldn’t have gone willingly, I know that.”
“I think being selected for this regiment made me very proud. I know I shouldn't be proud because pride comes before a fall. But I was young and stupid those days. You used to volunteer for anything when you're young.
Actually, I was the first one to join. I’m the last one left. The other one died last year.”
— TEXT ON SCREEN —
80 YEARS AGO
ON 8 MAY 1945
VICTORY IN EUROPE
WAS DECLARED
—SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
“On VE Day, we were still in Italy, and my unit was still in Greece fighting. Well, we heard it on the radio.”
—SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—Sir Winston Churchill, Former UK Prime Minister
“Hostilities will end officially at one minute after midnight tonight, Tuesday the 8th of May.”
— TEXT ON SCREEN —
FOUR YEARS AFTER THE WAR ENDED,
NATO WAS CREATED
TO PROVIDE COLLECTIVE SECURITY AND PROTECT PEACE IN EUROPE
—SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
“When I heard about NATO and the countries that took part in NATO, I was very happy because I knew that at least gave us some protection we didn't have before.
Because without the protection, we would be open to be taken over by any country.”
— TEXT ON SCREEN —
JOHN LIVES AT THE ROYAL HOSPITAL CHELSEA
A HOME FOR RETIRED SOLDIERS
—SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
“Well, I think I was sent here for a purpose,
mainly because most of the veterans here are old people. I came here to live. I try to give them hope. I think I'm here for that purpose.
I suppose the happiest time in my mind was when I was actually guarding a German prisoner-of-war camp. So we used to play cards and I started a bingo school with them as well.
So I took a lot of their money. I got on so very well with them, got so many friends, and I got invited to many houses after the war in Germany.
Unbelievable, isn't it?”
END
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Music
Valiant Heart - Anthony Giordano
Believe the Dream - Philip Guyler, Christopher Mark Salt
Wintering - Daniel Law Heath
Always Beside you - Laurent Levesque
Usage rights
This video includes Getty Images’ and its third parties’ and third-party contributors’ copyrighted material licensed by NATO, which cannot be used as part of a new production without Getty Images’ consent. For any use, please contact Getty Images: service.gi.bnl@gettyimages.com. This video also contains Thomson Reuters copyrighted library material licensed by NATO which cannot be used as part of a new production without consent of the copyright holder. Please contact Thomson Reuters to clear this material. This video also contains clips from Pond5, please use Pond5 to download and purchase. And this video contains clips from the Imperial War Museum which cannot be used as part of a new production without their consent.
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