A FORMER soldier from Droitwich was selected from thousands to stand as part of an honour guard around the Cenotaph in London to launch this year’s Poppy Appeal.

Wayne Canning, who served in the army air corps, spent many years as the drill sergeant for the national remembrance parade to the Cenotaph each November, but he had to stop taking part after being involved in a car accident.

His wife Nicky Canning said: “Until recently he always used to do the march, we used to go every year, but lately he hasn’t been able to do anything. He misses not being able to do the march.”

This year the Royal British Legion organised an honour guard watch to launch the Poppy Appeal with someone manning each corner of the cenotaph memorial in half hour shifts from sunrise at 7.20am to sunset at 5.45pm on Thursday, October 23 to remember the fallen.

Mr Canning was one of 80 veterans to stand vigil around the Cenotaph in Whitehall, selected from thousands of nominations across the country. Having received help form the Royal British Legion to obtain a mobility scooter following his accident, he was keen to support their cause.

He said: “It was superb, unbelievable, to actually be chosen. I'm registered disabled, I can hardly walk, I can't stand, but I stood the entire time. I nearly fell over about three times but I just gritted my teeth. That's the first time I've managed that.

"The feeling, to actually be there and try and say thank you to everyone who's lost their life. It was a fantastic day.

"It’s the first time that they’ve ever done this and it’s quite a shock to actually get chosen. It’s going to happen now every year. What makes it more special this year is that it’s 100 years since the First World War, and the Cenotaph is from the First World War.”

The Cenotaph was originally constructed from wood and plaster in 1919 for the Allied Victory Parade at the end of the first World War, but it struck a chord with the public, and was replaced in 1920 with an identical structure made from Portland Stone, which has been adopted as the UK’s national war memorial.