SOLDIERS who have lost limbs while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan have been given a boost by the women of RAF Boulmer.
Members of the Officers' Mess Ladies Supper Association went into action after hearing about the plight of injured servicemen and women returning from war zones around the world.
Not only were they shocked to learn that those disabled through loss o
f limbs did not have dedicated therapeutic swimming facilities, but that some had even been jeered at in public swimming baths.
So in double-quick time they raised £500 to add to a national appeal.
Lorna Whike, whose husband, Boulmer padre Sqn Ldr Paul Whike, has just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan, organised a collection at the station's gates, asking for donations from arriving vehicles.
"When we learnt of the situation and the lack of facilities we were horrified and we decided to do something about it," she said.
"I suppose it was a little like a modern-day equivalent of daylight robbery but the drivers and passengers took it with good heart when they learnt why we were doing it."
Other collection boxes were placed in the Officers' and Sergeants' Messes.
And in Belford, Val Burn, wife of retired RAF officer Ken Burn, also rallied support from local businesses and the public.
"It was a hectic few days but we achieved a marvellous result," she said.
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