A 101-year-old D-Day veteran honoured for his tireless work educating schoolchildren about the Holocaust has spoken of his profound disappointment with the state of modern Britain, citing a worrying rise in anti-Semitism.
A Veteran's Honour and Heartfelt Concern
Mervyn Kersh, from Cockfosters in north London, was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the New Year Honours list for his services to Holocaust remembrance and his wartime service. While describing the award as a 'wonderful thing', the veteran did not shy away from sharing his grave concerns about contemporary society.
'It's disappointing what's turned out now,' Mr Kersh stated. 'What's disappointing is the anti-Semitism that I see everywhere, hear everywhere, or read.' He admitted that although his wartime efforts were 'worth it', his ongoing mission to educate young people sometimes feels like it 'does not always work'.
From Normandy to Belsen: A Life of Service
Mr Kersh's remarkable journey saw him arrive in Normandy as a 19-year-old technical clerk with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps just three days after the D-Day landings in June 1944. His role was crucial in organising vehicle support for the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France.
In a deeply poignant chapter of his service, he was later stationed near the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp when it was liberated by British troops in April 1945. This experience has fuelled his decades-long commitment to ensuring the horrors of the Holocaust are never forgotten.
Drawing stark parallels with the present day, the veteran said he 'absolutely' sees comparisons to the period just before the Second World War, pointing to Russia 'threatening the west'. He argued passionately for increased defence spending, stating: 'Defence must come first, second, third, fourth and fifth, because only if you're strong, you won't be attacked.'
He offered a critical view of some Western leaders, comparing them to Neville Chamberlain and his policy of appeasement in the 1930s, suggesting they 'think they've just got to hope and make speeches.'
Celebrating Britain's Everyday Heroes
The New Year Honours list, which featured 1,157 recipients from across the UK, shone a spotlight on numerous community champions whose extraordinary contributions often go unnoticed.
Among them was Ryan Riley, 32, a chef from Sunderland who received a BEM for services to sufferers of loss of taste. After his mother, Krista, died from lung cancer in 2013, he used casino winnings of £28,000 to move to London and found Life Kitchen, a cookery school dedicated to creating recipes for people whose taste has been affected by chemotherapy. His initiative gained support from culinary stars like Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson.
Carl Portman, 61, from Banbury, was made an MBE for his voluntary work teaching chess in prisons. He explained that the game improves inmates' mental health by teaching discipline, strategy, and responsibility, and revealed that prisoners have told him it 'had saved them from suicide'.
The list also honoured two sets of twins for their community service: Ryan and Dean Appleton, community first responders from Colchester, and Heathrow Airport VIP liaison officers Sonia Dixon and Adrienne Campbell.
The oldest recipient this year was 102-year-old John Hearn, who received a BEM for his services to Judo and the community in North East England.
While the honours celebrate exceptional service, the poignant reflections of veterans like Mervyn Kersh serve as a powerful reminder of the enduring values and vigilance required to protect the society they fought to defend.
