Huge crowds gathered at Bramcote Crematorium to honour a former soldier’s life after Beeston Lodge Nursing home launched an appeal to find people to attend.
When Alex McDougall’s nursing home launched an appeal for any remaining family or friends to attend his funeral, they could have been forgiven for thinking that their wishes might fall on deaf ears.
This was not the case as large crowds turned up to honour Alex McDougall at Bramcote Crematorium on Friday June 26.
Mr McDougall, who passed away on June 8 at the age of 77, joined the army after he lost both of his parents in a car crash at a young age.
The dementia sufferer who died from cancer served as a gunner for the Royal Artillery in Cyprus and Portugal.
Captain Graham Thorne, 44, of the 16th Regiment Royal Artillery is one of the soldiers present at the funeral and was proud to honour a fellow gunner. He said: “We have a motto of once a gunner, always a gunner. It doesn’t matter if you served one year or thirty years, you are very much part of the gunner family.
“You can see so many people here today from the Royal Artillery Association and the Royal British Legion paying their respects.
Veterans like Mr McDougall are what makes today’s Army so special.
Captain Graham Thorne, 16th Regiment Royal Artillery.
