Veteran Leads Moving Erskine Tribute on 80th Anniversary of VJ Day

A 90-year-old veteran who served alongside the Gurkhas in Malaya has led a poignant tribute marking 80 years since the end of WWII.

Norman Seymour, wearing his blazer and service medal, laid a wreath at the VJ Memorial Stone at The Erskine Home before Erskine supporters marched, walked, and wheeled across the Erskine Bridge on Friday in tribute to those who served and sacrificed in the war’s final chapter.

Organised by Scotland’s leading veterans’ charity, Erskine, the three-mile crossing brought together veterans, their families, staff, and supporters, raising vital funds to help deliver care and support to more than 1,000 veterans across Scotland each year.

Norman, originally from Sunderland but now living in Scotland, served two years of National Service with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in Malaya, his term extended by three months during the Suez Crisis. Attached to the Gurkhas, he earned a medal for bravery.

Reflecting on the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in August 1945, he said:

“What could we feel except relief that it was all over? Today’s walk was my way of honouring those who didn’t come home. It was an emotional day but also uplifting to see so many people come together.”

Wing Commander Ian Cumming MBE, Chief Executive of Erskine, said:

“Today has been a truly poignant and uplifting occasion – a day to remember the relief and joy that the war had ended, while honouring the memory of those who never came home. It was a time of reflection, gratitude, and hope for the future. We are deeply thankful to everyone who sponsored and supported this event; your generosity ensures we can continue providing the care, friendship, and support that Scotland’s veterans so richly deserve.”

Donations can be made via Erskine’s JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/victorymarch

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For further information please contact Susan Hamilton, Communications Officer, on 0141 814 4719 or email susan.hamilton@erskine.org.uk

Notes to Editor

Erskine Veterans Charity is more than a charity — it’s a community, a family, and a lifeline for Scotland’s Veterans and their loved ones. Since 1916, we’ve provided expert care and unwavering support for ex-Service men and women, continually evolving to meet the changing needs of those who’ve served our country.

As Scotland’s leading provider of care for Veterans and their spouses, Erskine continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Veterans as the only charity in Scotland to offer such a wide-ranging suite

of person-centred services for our beneficiaries.

Erskine delivers outstanding nursing, residential, and dementia care in our specialist homes on the East and West coasts. However our support extends beyond care homes: through our Veterans Village in Bishopton, we provide 44 family cottages, five Assisted Living Apartments, and 23 Transitional Supported Accommodation Apartments for Veterans of various ages and life stages.

We also help Veterans thrive within their own local communities. Our Activity Centres in Bishopton and Forres, offer a safe space for Veterans to come together with like-minded people to connect, engage in purposeful activities, learn new skills, and access support. In addition our regional Home Support service offers older Veterans the friendly assistance which they need to live well with independence and dignity in their own home.

At Erskine, we don’t just care for Veterans — we care about them.

The generosity of our supporters allows the charity to maintain our commitment to care for Scotland’s Veterans – without donations we simply cannot continue this work.

 To find out more about Erskine Veterans Charity’s work please visit our website at www.erskine.org.uk, follow on twitter @ErskineCharity via Facebook www.facebook.com/ErskineVeteransCharity. To donate directly to Erskine, please visit Erskine.org.uk/donate.

Erskine Veterans Charity | Company No. SC174103 | Registered Charity No. SC006609 | The Erskine Home, Erskine Veterans Village, Bishopton, PA7 5PU