Memorandum submitted by Mrs Rosalind Dillon-Lee
On returning home after the meeting on Wednesday
I feel I must add a couple of points that I was unable to make
before the Committee.
First, I feel strongly that provision should
be made for relatives and veterans that have been affected by
the Northern Ireland conflict to visit the province. It is important
for the bereaved to see where their relatives died as was done
for those who lost loved ones in the Falklands War. I think for
those relatives who have been bereaved in similar circumstances
to me, we have many questions that only a visit to Belfast would
help to answer. I certainly need to try to understand what drove
a man to murder my husband. I think most relatives would be able
to pay for such a visit but like me feel unable to do it alone.
However, with support of others in similar circumstances they
would be able to make that journey.
Secondly, I think that many veterans of the
Northern Ireland conflict would benefit from taking part in a
memorial to their comrades who died. The British Army prides itself
on encouraging esprit de corps and for many soldiers it is the
only family they have. When I worked as SSAFA Forces Help Health
Visitor I was often struck by how many of the soldiers came from
families with unstable backgrounds. Therefore when a colleague
dies in action the young soldiers feel the loss deeply. I remember
my husband's Battery Sergeant Major saying that such a loss was
like losing a brother. That loss should be acknowledged.
25 February 2005
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