Yesterdays Independent carried the obituary of Captain Richard Annand, VC, who died on 24 December 2004, age 90. Serving as a 2nd Lieutenant with 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry, Annand won his VC following a series of attacks he made with grenades on Germans attempting to cross the River Dyle in Belgium in May 1940. Suffering almost total hearing loss in 1941, partly due to the effects of the grenade explosions, he continued to serve in training and administrative posts until discharged from the army in 1948. He then spent the rest of his working life working with disabled people and was a founder of what was to become Hearing Concern. Annand's sad death, leaves only 13 surviving VC holders.
Another WW2 hero is lost to us, but his memory will live on. We owe so much to people like Captain Richard Annand VC.
I am truly saddened to hear about Dick Annand's death. He is part of a unique fraternity, which is down to only 13 men. I'm glad he made it to the 50th and 60th anniversary of his feats of valor.
