The Sandbag Times Issue No:32

The Veterans’ Magazine
Issue 32 | July 2017
Chennai 6 Latest
Read the latest on the recent
protests and the hunger strikes
Big Phil Campion
SAS and Security Operative
Phil Campion teams up
with the SBT
Plus all the National
and International
Veterans and Armed
Forces News
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Supporting #Chennai6

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Six veterans being held in prison in
Chennai, India are still awaiting the
outcome of an appeal to overturn their
conviction of possession of illegal arms
despite thier authorising paperwork
allowing them to carry arms in their
professional anti-piracy role.
The six were detained in October 2013 after
coming in to port to refuel. Their ship was
boarded by the Indian authorities and they
were then subsiquently arrested over
ludicrous arms charges. Despite the charges
originally being dropped, they were
eventually reinstated and the entire crew of
35, was sentenced to 5 years in prison in
January 2016. An appeal was lodged over
130 days ago for the Indian government to
reconsider the charges but still, there has
been no answer from the Indian Judicial
system.
‘Hunger Strike’
On Thursday last week, Billy Irving, Nick
Simpson, John Armstrong and Estonian and
Ukrainian nationals who were also wrongly
jailed, began a three day hunger strike to
protest their innocence and demand the
Indian authorities reconsider the charges.
The hunger strike ended on Sunday with all
men being in good health. The British
government has tried on no less than 54
Chennai Six Protests Latest
Two Soldiers Killed in Tank Accident
US Shoots down Syrian Warplane
Chennai Six Protests asks
again for answers and Justice
occasions to intervene including a recent visit
to India where Theresa May spoke directly to
the Indian Prime Minister over the six. As yet,
nothing has been done. The protests come
amidst the political confusion over who
should be running the country in Parliament
following the recent election. Last month the
closing of Parliament meant that all petitions
put to the government were closed until the
reformation of the new government. This
action destroyed the growing petition that the
Chennai Six had opened leaving the only
option but to start again. However, the
petition raised through change.org is still
currently running with over 400,000
signatures. If you would like to sign the
petition please click on the link at the bottom
of the page.
‘Pressure’
Last Wednesday, Lisa Dunn, the brother of
Nick Dunn, one of the six, released a video
on youtube explaining the situation. She
highlighted the need to keep the pressure up
on the British Government to, in turn, put
pressure on the Indian Government to see
sense and deliver the long awaited and
overdue verdict on the case. Lisa, along with
other family members have campaigned
tirelessly for justice.
The SBT Says...
Enough is enough. These guys are suffering
terribly because of a very wrong miscarriage
of Justice. British and Indian
Governments, start doing the right thing
and realise the damage that is being done
to these brave lads and their families. It’s
time to get this sorted out once and for all.
Hundreds of protesters
turned out in London on
Friday to demand the
release of the Chennai Six.
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The Chennai Six,
An operator’s view on the situation
Former SAS Trooper, Security
Operator, Best Selling Author and
now Veterans Campainer ‘Big’ Phil
Campion tells it how it is.
Sometimes controversial but always
honest and from the hip. Phil is a
very welcome addition to the
Sandbag Times Team
Having spent six years at sea myself
travelling through pirate infested
waters, I can fully empathise with the
lads being held in India and i’m disgusted at
the Indian authorities for wrongly imprisoning
the whole crew, at the company who have all
but abandoned the men. At the lack of media
support because it is not sexy enough to
make the news in any real capacity. At the
British government who are more interested in
cutting deals related to BREXIT and handing
over aid money to a country with a space
programme. The irony of the fact that these
men have protected Indian seamen incapable
of defending themselves is beyond
incomprehension. Even if the paperwork
supporting the weapons was incorrect which
it was not and if the company involved owed
monies, so what. It has nothing to do with
those who are now incarcerated. The
authorities have gone after the low hanging
fruit and are no better than the pirates who
plague the seas holding good men to ransom.
Why not just keep the ship or the cargo if
there is a problem? Why not confiscate the
weapons? No, the corrupt Indian authorities
have seen a potential bargaining chip. Their
reasoning is impaired by greed.
The lads are surviving because those near
and dear are keeping their hopes alive. Food
parcels are delivered regularly to ensure that
they are fed and watered. Left to languish,
they would not even receive food and water. I
have spoken to those who have visited the
stricken operators and have heard of the
unnecessary hardship. The beatings they
have taken because the authorities are scared
of them. The Embassy has made a token
effort on their behalf but don't want to rock the
boat. (No pun intended).
What can we do? I personally will be pushing
this out wherever i can. I have a little bit of
notoriety and am known to a few – i will be
spreading the word. I would hope that anyone
who has any decency at all will help by raising
awareness whenever possible.
Eventually this will land on a desk that gives
a damn and can help repatriate these lads
who were just doing their job to provide for
their families.
Cheers all, Phil.
| 8 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk

Have Your Say....
Send your comments in to us here at the SBT. Comment about anything within the
Magazine, Website, Radio, Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. All we ask is to keep the
comments relative to the topics and be respectful. That’s it. Now, fire away...
Last weekend was the launch of our Chennai Six project. We invited readers to comment on
the situation. Here’s some of your comments.
The SBT posted...
This month’s issue of the Sandbag Times will
be highlighting the Chennai 6. Apart from
reports on the peaceful protest and the
recent hunger strike, we shall be looking at
why they are still incarcerated and what is
happening, legally, to get them back home.
However, the SBT is asking for you to
comment on the situation. I will free up a
page (maybe 2) for all of your comments. If
you feel passionately enough about this
miscarriage of justice then please, please
comment. I will then ensure this edition is
stuck under the noses of everyone I possibly
can. MP’s included. I know it will be nothing
new to them but at least we can show that
this is not going away, nor the people that are
supporting them. Help us to keep it in the
public. Have your say!!
Gremlin replied...
June 18, 2017 at 5:48 pm
Too often we are distracted by the news of
the day. Many news articles are written to sell
today’s stories. Yesterdays headlines are too
quickly forgotten. The lives of people in
yesterdays news, do not change because
“new” news is on the front page. I have read
that 45 times this has been brought up the
the Indian Government, that is hundreds of
times too few. One life is too many to be
forgotten, the 6 names here are just the tip of
the story, family, friends & the whole country
are also part of the tragedy. It is time to bring
them home.
Jane said...
June 19, 2017 at 5:22 am
The British government should hang their
heads in shame for not intervening and
bringing this situation to justice. The lives of
these innocent men can not and must not be
swept under the carpet. It’s a disgrace that
these men are still behind bars. Wake up and
o something to help them. They are innocent
men, wrongly accused of crimes they didn’t
commit. It makes me feel ashamed to be
British when the very people who can put this
right wash their hands of it. Grow some balls
politicians, look at all the evidence of injustice
in this case, fight for these men. They all gave
years of their lives to the service of their
country, give them back their lives that they
had wrongly taken away from them.
Jim said...
June 19, 2017 at 10:16 am
Sadly, there is an awful lot of bad news in the
media, and folks “cherry pick” what they think
are important issues. In the aftermath of the
Al Blackman (Marine A) case, there have
been a number of significant events that have
grabbed the new headlines. Agreed, those
with loss of life or endangerment will always
take precedence BUT that does not mean
there is nothing else going on in the world.
This country sends a lot of money abroad,
helping other countries overcome some of
the “wrongs” they suffer. It just so happens
that one of these countries….India get an
awful lot of funding from our shores, and
return the favour by encarcerating the very
men that help to keep their waters safe. The
Chennai 6 are 6 ex mil chaps that are in a
place they should not be….period. They are
not alone….30+ individuals from their ship
are in the squalour of an Indian jail. Pressure
needs to be brought to bear on those
responsible for this travesty of justice.
Witholding some of the funding would go
some way to showing that we do not tolerate
this sort of action, without repercussions. The
only way we will secure a result, is for the
public, and the rest of the world to unite
against this sort of barbaric activity.
Claire said...
June 19, 2017 at 3:10 pm
It’s been far too long, innocent men left
abandoned in a stinking hell hole. Wrong on
every level.
To post your comments couldn’t be easier.
All you need do is visit one of our media
platforms and type away....
Website: www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesandbagtimes
Twitter: twitter.com/thesandbagtimes
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sandbag-times-9442a011b/
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more than me, for the five years prior to this sad
time she had kept us from falling apart and
sinking. If it wasn't for her I would have given up
way before I did. We had reached the point that
I was affecting the children and everyone
around me, my spine was worse than ever and
so was my mental health. The situation at home
had reached the point where Nikki had reached
the ‘end of her tether’ and she asked me to
leave the house and go to the hospital and get
the help that I so desperately needed,
physically and mentally. Nikki said that until I
had some help and some respite care I couldn't
come home. Some may think that this was cold
hearted, but you have to understand what I was
putting my family through, she had no choice.
March 2016 a month and year that would change my life forever. I
left the Royal Engineers in 2010 after ten years serving my country
and doing like many had before me, which ever service they were in.
I was forced to leave with serious life changing injuries and mental
health scars that would affect me for the rest of my life. I was
assured that on my Medical Discharge I would be rehoused and
cared for and supported by the NHS, unfortunately this was not the
case. I tried my best with several Mental Health services, they all
stated the same – this is a military issue, we can't help you!
During this time I was undergoing further
surgeries, I wasn't coping and couldn't
understand what was wrong with me and sadly
neither could my family. I was never a user of
social media, but if I was I would have realised
that there is a lot of fantastic support out there,
unfortunately I was deeply depressed and
depression does funny things to people, I
couldn't handle even talking about my career,
let alone join a group like FVUK. In June 2015
my physical and mental health took a turn for
the wors. My PTSD was worse than ever. I was
still desperate for help and I was still being
ignored and passed from pillar to post, no one
knowing quite what to do with me, my
desperation grew, the pain consumed me bit by
bit. My whole life felt like it was spiralling out of
control, my family stayed by my side equally as
desperate and concerned about my future.
I've been with my wife for nearly 20 years, the
summer of 2015 would test our love and
strength like no other time before. She could
see what was happening to me but felt
powerless to do anything about it, she's the one
that deals with my depression, anxiety and
panic attacks. She's the one that constantly
runs me about to health appointments and
making sure that I have the right medication.
She's the one that has to cope with my pain
and side effects that all these pills give me, the
angry outbursts that I constantly had, and then
the depression and my horrible and nasty
attitude afterwards. Blaming myself, and
convinced I was a bad person that didn't
deserve the love that she gave me. She dealt
with the house, the children, the pets, the
nightmares, flashbacks, the bills, she would
pick me up off the floor when I fell during the
night or day. Nikki is the one that has struggled
Nikki assumed that the amount of money that is
raised for military charities annually in this
country that someone, somewhere could offer
me two weeks respite, giving me the help I
needed and the break that my family so
desperately needed. Before I left my home I
rang one of the major charities and they said
that they were not able to offer me respite care
because of my poor physical and mental state.
They were very concerned for my safety and
had stated that I must attend hospital and insist
on them finding me some treatment. As they felt
that the hospital would try and discharge me
immediately, thus putting me on the streets, I
was advised to stay and insist on treatment as
the NHS had ‘Duty of Care’ for my wellbeing.
Bearing in mind that I was in a Designated
Military Hospital. As predicted they tried to
discharge me at 2 o'clock in the morning
despite many desperate pleas for mental health
help and the fact that I was homeless and
danger to myself and others. I felt my whole
world was falling apart, I was submissive and
very emotional, I felt I was fighting for my life
and my screams were still being ignored.
Luckily a junior nurse fought my corner and
prevented me from being discharged, I was
allowed to stay until the morning. In the
morning I rang my welfare officer again and he
said " Do not let them discharge you because
you will be homeless and very vulnerable”. I
didn't want to cause anyone any problems, I
hold the medical staff in high regard and have
great respect for their work, but I had no choice
but to follow my instructions as I felt no one
else cared. As you can expect the news didn't
go down very well and for that I'm truly sorry,
but I was promised by the Army I would get
priority treatment. So over the next few days a
Mexican standoff happened, of everyone
insisting that it was the responsibility of the NHS
to care for me and them insisting it wasn't. A lot
happened over those days. I was being ignored
by the senior staff and they tried every trick in
the book to trying and discharge me, even
saying that I would be referred for a mental
health appointment if I left. The problem was
they were referring me to the very place that I
had already been turned away from, they
claimed they were trying their best but yet still
hadn't referred me to anyone who could or were
willing to help. In the end I tracked down my
| 12 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk

own help despite my serious mental state, I was
visited by a charity representative who said they
have a veteran’s home that I could go to for two
weeks. Thank God someone finally was able to
help! My wife was over the moon and said I
could return home to the family after my two
weeks respite. So I filled out the paperwork and
everything looked positive. I got to keep my
bed over the weekend, I still hadn’t seen a
physio or a mental health worker by this point
despite the mental health ward being only
upstairs. I was told the only way I could get
access to this ward was to be arrested as the
police are the only ones that have the power to
authorise this? Really, are we at the stage
where a British war veteran can only get
immediate mental health help through the NHS,
in one of the biggest military areas in the
country, is by getting himself arrested! But I
knew no different and clearly the medical staff
are not trained or funded to know what to do
with us veterans, at least in the Hampshire area
it seemed.
The weekend passed and on the Monday
morning I looked at my legs did not feel right,
they were swollen and discoloured and more
painful than ever, I could hardly put any weight
on them. I told a nurse about it and she said
that she would come back to me. She never
did. Lunch had just passed and I was
summoned to the patients’ room, so I hobbled
down on crutches and was met by the man
from the charity and the ward sister. I sat down
and knew it was bad news because the sister
would not look up from the floor. The charity
guy said " It's bad news”, because I had
admitted to being verbally abusive to my wife in
the past the respite home would not accept me
due to having no security!!! At that I stopped
him and asked the sister "Sister since I arrived
here and despite the problems I have had, have
I ever been rude or aggressive to anyone”? She
replied, still looking at the floor, "No". At that
point I got emotionally upset, so I got up left
because I didn't want to lose my temper with
him. I hobbled back to my bed after pulling
myself together to find a welcoming committee!
It would appear that they, the hospital staff and
the charity guy, had colluded to get me away
from my room so they could pack up my day
sack and remove me from the hospital. I didn't
argue or show any resistance, I just begged for
help. When asking the female Doctor for my
personal medication out of the locked bedside
cabinet she said " Are you going to sign the
discharge form “ ? I said "No because you are
removing me against my will". I was denied
access to my personal medication. I was put
into a wheelchair chair, in my pyjamas, and
wheeled out of the hospital by a military Cpl,
who kept whispering to me that he was so sorry
about what they were making him do. They did
not inform anyone of their actions, did not give
me any bus fare or instruction, they just wanted
rid of the problem, me. I was left at a bus stop,
opposite the hospital, crying, in my pyjama
bottoms, polo shirt and flip flops with a severe
infection in my legs, which turned out to be
cellulitis, in the middle of the day with members
of the public just staring at me ...... That I will
never forget or forgive.
I was there for about 45 minutes, in an area that
I have no friends or people that I could ask for
help. Then by chance my wife called to see
how I was, I explained what had happened she
simply stated " I may not like you at times
recently but I have always loved you, I thought
they would have to help that's the only reason I
asked you to leave”. She came and got me and
took me home, and was horrified by the
condition of my legs. Within 24 hours I was
back in the same hospital on an antibiotic drip
as the cellulitis was so bad, it took about two
months to clear. A complaint was filed
immediately on my behalf as I had a full mental
break down, I felt worthless, I was in no fit state
to look after myself and at times could hardly
string a sentence together. In the next few
months the hospital tried every avoidance
method that they could employ, my medical
notes had been lost, my drug chart had gone
missing etc. They exceeded all and every
response time targets they promised and
prolonged the whole process for as long as
they could. The charity that said they would
help whilst I was in hospital, denied everything
even my existence. No one from the hospital
would take responsibility for their actions. Yet
again I felt abandoned and failed on every level,
I have still not received a proper apology. Sadly
just before Christmas 2015 I took a huge
overdose feeling that to leave this world, was
the only thing I could do to end this constant
nightmare that I was putting my family through.
In my mind at that time it was the greatest way
to show my children and wife how much I loved
them. I tell you this not for pity or sympathy. I
tell you this because I want people in a similar
position to realise they are not alone and there
are others that have also felt this way.
Now we are at March 2016, I was still incredibly
low and my attacks were worse than ever! I still
hadn't had the mental health appointment that I
was promised and waited eight months for,
when the appointment came and I was
discharged after one session being told that this
was a military issue and they could not help. I
wished I had done the job properly when I tried
to take my own life. I felt like it would only be a
matter of time until I tried again. One day my
wife walked in with an IPhone, I had never had
a smart phone before and initially wasn't
interested. Nikki was just trying to cheer me up
and give me something positive to focus on, I
had never been on Twitter before so I joined not
knowing what it was!?
That was the moment that changed my life for
ever! I know looking back this may sound a
little soft, my first ever tweet was "I've never felt
so alone since I left the Army". To my
amazement the phone pinged and someone
had ‘followed’ me, then again and again. I fully
admit that initially it was all about me and my
problems. After a couple of weeks I soon
realised it was not just me that struggles this
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 13 |

way, there are many ‘Gary’s’ out there and
some a lot worse off than I am. So I started to
share my experiences and problems and I
spoke to many about their issues and things
that were holding them back. Soon I found
myself loosely counselling Veterans and their
families and the more I felt I was helping the
more I felt I actually had a purpose in life. Every
time I was thanked a little piece of the man I
was came back to life. In the meantime follower
after follower was starting to support me and
the positive message I was trying to spread
across Twitter. Seven weeks after I started on
Twitter, I got an invitation to go to Westminster
and speak to the Chair of the All Party
Parliamentary Group for The Armed Forces
Covenant about my experiences and the
problems that veterans face in our community
and the failings of the covenant. At first I
thought it was a joke! But it was real, finally
someone was willing to listen to my cries for
help. It was a very constructive meeting and we
are still in touch to this date. At this point I had
five thousand followers on Twitter and it was
this support that got me through each day, in
August 2016 someone approached me and
asked why FVUK wasn't on FaceBook? The
reason being I was still very ill and could just
about cope with Twitter, also I hadn't used
FaceBook in years and didn't understand it all.
So they helped me start a group, then the
group started to grow in the same fashion as
Twitter. I soon had people asking me if they
could donate, which I replied " I don't want
people's money"! They said "But why are you
doing this then"? I simply stated that you don't
need money to support people and show them
you care and they are not alone.
As the group has grown it has attracted some
amazing people, all with their own passions and
skills all wanting to help drive forward FVUK. All
having the same morals and standards of
wanting to do good with no reward to
themselves. It took some time for me to initially
realise what was
needed, but as my
experience grew my
confidence and passion
grew at an equal rate.
For so long I had let my
demons and health
defeat me, but now I
have started to except
my disability and
problems. I have finally
come to the realisation
that I have something
positive and
constructive to offer the
world. I have made a
few mistakes on route
but they have been
honest and with good
intentions. What's
important is I have
learnt from them, and
put into practice
methods to stop them
happening again. What are just as important
are the people that I have chosen to help me,
as I know my limitations! I have never hidden
my flaws and like any good leader the council I
have round me is paramount. I have some
really experienced and honest, passionate
people on our team and I wouldn't be able to
function properly without them. My aim is to
incorporate as many veterans or family
members as I can, all bringing their own skills
to the team, giving as many people as possible
the same feeling of self-worth and belonging
that I receive from FVUK. Sometimes people
are just looking for a reason to get up in the
morning, we all have our own reasons to want
to produce something so positive.
So here we are at the stage that trustees have
been appointed and the Charity status
application has been submitted to the Charity
Commission. Our path is clear; we will step up
and help whenever we can. We are the band
aid to seal the wound until we can gateway
them to the best possible agency. Whether it be
a tent for the homeless or food vouchers for the
families that are struggling to put food on the
table, we will consider most things if
desperately needed. We are aware that
throwing money at the problem does not
always fix the issue, that's why we gateway
them to the correct place to try and solve the
underlying problem that has got them to this
stage in the first place. We believe that care
doesn't stop at five o'clock, weekends and
public holidays! Isn't it better they have
someone instead of no one? We are also
building a buddy scheme that will offer general
support, information and comradeship from
other veterans and associated family members.
Quite often people just want to have a chat to
break the isolation and loneliness, we use the
power of Google to help source information
local to the recipient. We are not qualified to
give treatment, but we can direct them to
reputable organisations and charities. As our
charity grows we hope to expand our offers of
assistance and grants, to train our volunteers so
we can offer the best and safest service for all.
Even if we immediately pass on a case to
someone more suitable, if warranted, it is still a
success in our eyes. What is important is the
recipient not our ego's! We work tirelessly to
build good relationships with other charities and
organisations that share our ethos, and pride
ourselves in offering help where ever possible
to advertise functions and events and services
of other organisations. For now I feel you have
read enough! I hope this brings strength and
courage to the forgotten to step forward and
say that they are also struggling, and clarity to
those who wanted to know more about who I
am and who we are. The first step is always the
hardest step admitting that you need help, I
cannot change my past but I can change my
future and hopefully that of others. To my team,
my Trustees and most importantly my family,
thank you for not giving up on me and believing
in me. I owe you my life.
Gary Weaving RE
| 14 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk

The idea for Save Our Soldier came about because [Lee
Hayward, the Founder of the charity] saw in newspaper
headlines that suicides were occurring after combatants
returned from war. It was unacceptable to see this frequently in
the news, and to do nothing when something could be done.
The problem is post traumatic stress, an injury triggered by
exposure to extreme trauma. We call this condition PTSI, (Post
Traumatic Stress Injury) but it is more commonly known as
PTSD. Conversations with veterans led to research. The results
highlighted a growing need for support of veterans, struggling to
transition and reintegrate into ‘civvy street’, and for their families
suffering from the legacy of combat. Lee knew with the right
people, the number of acute cases could be reduced.
Encouragement to become a charity came from The Medlock
Charitable Trust, who provided initial funding to get the
specialised emotional coaching for combatants started. The
charity was started in Nov 2012, Save Our Soldier now has 20
coaches from Scotland to Devon. The UK automotive industry
is experiencing a significant shortage in personnel. The industry
needs dedicated, mission-focused individuals, who like to work
in teams, take pride in their work and maintain good standards.
They are required nationwide, for permanent roles with full
training provided, where necessary. Many of these roles will also
present opportunities for advancement. We wish to advise
prominent Veteran’s support agencies about the diverse
employment opportunities for those who have been out of the
Services, perhaps for longer than two years, and are aged 18 to
50 + . (Anyone contacting us within 2 years of discharge will
also be reminded about the (CTP) Career Transition
Partnership). Save Our Soldier cares for and helps, with
coaching and emotional support for post-traumatic stress,
individuals and their families who fall through the cracks in the
statutory system. Experience has shown that the issue of finding
satisfactory and appropriate work, and commonly the apparent
lack of suitable openings, is a key issue for Veterans/ex-Service
personnel. Moreover, it is often the central barrier to them
reintegrating back into civilian society. Through our growing
corporate connections, Save our Soldier is now firmly supported
by and partnering with the automotive industry. Consequently,
we are about to launch a job portal on our web site which will
feature a vacancies board directly representing over 600 vehicle
body repair shops across the country. (The job board is being
provided by a car-repair organisation directly and this will
involve no recruitment fees or any other fees). This type of work
involves becoming an integral part of small teams of specialised
operatives focused on a common goal; it represents a
potentially rewarding environment for someone formerly trained
to perform to high standards, with a similar ethos to the Forces
and Emergency Services. It is well paid for those who learn the
skills. Jobs range from receptionist and delivering customers'
cars to all manner of vehicle body repair and finish coat
spraying. Furthermore, opportunities can extend into the wider
automotive industry, to areas like computing, sales and more.
I have always helped charities when i can by way of donating
money. But having a lot of friends in the military helping military
charities has been more important to me. 5 yrs ago i met Dennis
mason whose son was lost in Afghanistan at the time i was
printing t-shirts and he wanted some shirts for a fun walk he was
organising to raise funds for his sons memorial fund. We started
talking about things he could do to raise funds and even came to
my house till early hrs in the morning to help me make the shirts
from that day he has been like a father to me and my family
especially my children. We all went to help out on fundraisers
and charity events to help Dennis. I then had a job opportunity
that i had to take and this meant i could not help as much as i
could. 1yr into the new job i met Paul Ballard who was an artist
and a veteran ex royal artillery he knew about the help i gave
Dennis and wanted to do something to help he showed me
some of the artwork and it was amazing we talked about how or
what we could do and decided to offer the artwork to military
charities for them to sell to help them raise funds for them self we
both put in £750 each to get the artwork put into production and i
created the Facebook page and started inviting people which is
when we met Karin Sowerby who is another amazing artist and
wanted to help and later found out she was also a Veteran and
then later her Sister Angie Sowerby another amazing artist and
also a veteran. Dennis Mason from The Lance Corporal Nicky
Mason Memorial Fund was the 1st to take artwork. And living on
the old garrison in Colchester & Nicky being in the parachute
regiment contacting Stephen Cooper from Support our Para’s
was the next charity who gladly accepted the artwork. From
there it went up hill with other charities. Julie Cooper from the
Dons War Memorial Bar, Ian Proud of the Gateshead poppy
Appeal, Paul Lomax the Great War Heritage Project, Ian Inglis the
War Museum Scotland, Gary Wallace the RECCE group and
Donna Louise Armstrong, Soldiers off The Street Scotland. I
send them the artwork in the large limited edition 20x30 canvases
for them to sell at no cost to them, each being sold for £75 they
cost £25 each to produce with the stretcher bars and certificates
which is deducted to produce a replacement then the charity
takes 50% of the balance the other 50% produces another canvas
or goes towards other items like postcards pads pens mugs
clocks and other items i can think of to print the artwork on every
penny that comes back goes into printing more items to offer the
charities and any new charities. Not to mention the donations we
have donated in the last year since starting this over 40 large
canvases to many fundraisers charities and families.I also attend
military some of the events and fundraisers to set out a display to
sell the artwork to help them on the day. Seeing the response
from the public and the help it gives the charities makes it more
worthwhile.
Richard Betts
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 15|

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| 16 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk

From the Pit to the Palace...
This month has been very much of a roller coaster ride. There
has been so many positives in my life but also the hauntings of
days past. Thankfully, these days, thanks to my own faith, I can
pretty much talk myself around most problems that are thrown at
me.
When I look at others, I see struggles with very few answers.
Sometimes it isn’t the fact that there are no answers, just the
answers haven’t been seen yet. When we are in that position is
very hard to maintain a positive attitude. My thoughts and
prayers in this edition are very much with the Chennai Six and
their families. What on earth can I possibly say to give comfort
and reassurance to these very brave people going through such
a difficult time? Well, there is one passage that I know of that
can offer hope. This kind of dawned on me this Sunday when
we were sat down having an afternoon of musicals. One of my
favourites, and one I have also played in, is Joseph and the
Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. Of course the play/musical is
a dramatised production but the real story of Joseph can be
found in Genesis.
doing more than they know. We won’t know the true extent of
their suffering and hardship because we are not there but we
can be assured they are being guided. Just as Joseph when he
was suffering.
When we look at recent events, we can see the dtermination and
strength, not only in the lads but the families that will stop at
nothing to win the day. They will win.
We all know that life can be hard, it can pile pressure on like no
tomorrow but all of these trials will make you stronger. That’s
how it works. We’ve all heard the sayings, ‘What doesn’t beat
you makes you stronger’ and God gives his hardest battles to
his strongest soldiers’. When I look at the families and the lads
in India, I see those two sayings. He knows you will all pull
through regardless of what disappointments or victories may
come, he know the lads can endure this, even though they think
the opposite at times. He know the families will be their rock
and will never stop fighting. He know that the fight will be won.
In the mean time, whatever your faith, religion, denomination, I
would like to ask you all to pray or think about the lads and their
families. Give them strength to continue to fight with faith and
hope, guide the authorities to see humanity and compassion
and bring a swift end to this ongoing trial. Give them guidance
to learn and to help others once this has ended. Amen.
This has become one of my favourite chapters, not because of
the musical story but because of the many lessons that we can
take from it. The story originally talks of a boy that dreams
many strange things, these dreams turn into foresights for the
future. I don’t suggest for a moment that any of us will possess
that gift but it does show that everything happens for a reason.
If he didn’t get his dreams, he wouldn’t have been hated by his
brothers, they wouldn’t have thrown him in the pit, he wouldn’t
have been pulled out and sold as a slave, he wouldn’t have
ended up in prison for something he hadn’t done (something
familiar there), he wouldn’t have been in a position to help the
Pharoah, he wouldn’t have saved millions from starvation and
finally, wouldn’t have forgiven his brothers for a terrible crime
and reunite his family.
Now we don’t know what we have in store for us but I do know
that the guys currently sat in that awful prison cell in India are
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 17 |

Born Fearless: Check out our shop
| 18 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk

Veterans Breakfast Clubs
Armed Forces &
Veterans breakfast Clubs
www.afvbc.co.uk
Website
The VBC Website has now been revamped/redesigned and is now live.
There are several new features including a Post Code search facility that
brings up the five nearest Breakfast Clubs to your Post Code, and we now
have a News feature and links to the current issues of the Sandbag Times
and much more. To make it easier for people to get to it, funds have been
made available to allow the acquisition of more domain names.
The new address is www.afvbc.co.uk and the old address is pointed at the
new site.
The main alteration is that the email addresses have changed from:
Support@VeteransBreakfastClubs.co.uk
to
Support@AFVBC.co.uk
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 19 |

Worcester VBC
many thanks to Nigel from
the Woofers for this photo.
42 on parade in the end,
I’m gobsmacked and so
proud of you all for turning
up... It's the new armed
forces family you were
always craving for...
Harwich VBC
Breakfast today in Harwich.
More members every meet
Macclesfield VBC
Amazing turnout today for
the Macclesfield launch.
We think we had numbers
of 75-80 but yet to be
confirmed – Look forward
to the next one!
| 20 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk

Veterans Breakfast Clubs
Hastings/Bexhill VBC
12 attending at The Custom Cafe.
Sadly the service on the day was
not what was expected, with
peeps waiting well over an hour
for their food to arrive. With the
cafe only being fully open for a
few weeks, new staff and also
with it being fathers day
yesterday perhaps it was just
'one of those days'.
GrimsbyVBC
Not many turned up
today at GVBC but still
had a great morning, the
place is gradually being
decorated with corp flags
and it looks brilliant x
Shrewsbury AFVBC
A fabulous forty of us at
Shrewsbury AFVBC today,
and our new AFVBC Flag
made it's debut.
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 21 |

Aww... C’mon let be back in,
it didn’t smell that bad!!!
| 22 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk

Born Fearless
Phil Campion
The Veterans’ Magazine
Issue 31 | June 2017
RAF Cosford
Air Show
The annual West Midlands air show
is upon us once more. The SBT
looks at this year’s line-up
10 Years on...
Eggs, Bangers,
Bacon & Banter
from the man
who started it all
Latest News
Plus all the National
and International
Veterans and Armed
Forces News
Flying for SSAFA
World record attempt to
raise funds for veterans
SPONSORED BY:
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
Supporting #Chennai6
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 23|

Hi Folks, welcome to Sandbag Times Radio :)
For those that have been following the progress of the magazine
and Radio Station, you will have seen and heard some
significant changes to both the magazine, and the station.
We are still very busy championing the plight of the Chennai
6, both in print, and on air. This weekend 24/25 June, the
whole team is attending a function in Worcester on behalf of
the lads who are the "Chennai 6". SBT Radio will be "Live" at
the New Inn in Claines, Worcester, supporting Pablo and Jane
with providing entertainment, and trying to empty the pockets
of those attending in order to raise funds in support of this
effort to free the lads. The Chennai team are expected to be
in attendance, and a BBQ and musical entertainment
throughout the 2 days is planned.
We still need your support folks. The main aim of the Radio
Station is to provide news and information, as well as music
and entertainment for our veterans and military. We would
like to focus more on the Veterans and Military side of things
during our live broadcasts, and not just be on air to fill the airwaves.
If you would like to get involved in any way, please
drop me a line at jim@sandbagtimes.com. I am always on
the lookout for new presenters, to bring some diversity, variety,
originality and character to the station. You do not need
to be a pro, or have any broadcasting experience. Everyone
has to start somewhere. We have the knowledge and experience
to set you up, and all we ask of you is to be yourself,
and have our Military family at heart when you broadcast.
Those of you that watch "Big Phil"Campion, both on Sky's
"Big Phils War, and more recently on his You Tube blog
SOFREP.COM each evening at 2100 hrs, you will be pleased
to learn that Phil will be writing regularly in the magazine, and
doing some Q&A on air when we can schedule him in.
Thanks to Pablo for cornering Phil and "persuading" him.
Over the next few weeks, the station will be trialling a few new
broadcast methods that you may find interesting. Picture
this...... you have a party organised, or a BBQ or whatever,
and need to organise some musical entertainment. What
about your own personal DJ! I don't mean one that rocks up
at your door and sets up a studio in your front room. What I
am referring to is a bespoke service whereby you let me
know in advance of the people attending your party/function
beforehand.... preferably a week or two before the event. You
give me the names, their musical tastes, and anything else
about them you wish to disclose, and leave the rest to us :)
On the day/night of the function, all you will need to do is log
in to your favourite Internet radio station......Yes, thats US!.....
turn your music up, and then go about your business. We
will provide your music for the function, intertwined with comments
and chat from your DJ, who will take requests etc.
This is a new dimension to the station, and we are excited to
see how this pans out.... but we need your input to see if it a
viable proposition. Let me know your thoughts, and any suggestions/feedback
in order that we can make it a really enjoyable
experience for both you and your guests. I will be talking
this over with he team over the next couple of weeks to
iron out any snags.
We understand that when the sun is shining (and it's been
doing that a lot recently), the last thing folks want to be doing
is sitting in front of their PC/Laptop etc listening to the radio...
but just remember, you can add the URL (web address) to
your tablet and smart phone, and take us wherever you go so
that you don't miss a beat. The link you need is
http://www.sandbagtimes.co.uk/sandbag-times-radio-show/.
It is hoped that an app will be available soon to make this a
simple connection.
Right folks, that's about it for now. Time to get organised and
make some preparations for the upcoming weekend in
Worcester. If you are in the are, be sure to come and meet
the team at the New Inn, Claines, Worcester, WR3 7DH
(http://www.newinnpubworcester.co.uk/) and see us "LIVE".
Thanks as always for your continued support folks. We enjoy
what we do, and hope you do too. Until next month, stay
safe, and if you are out in the sun...... get yer slapscreen on!
| 24 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk

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SATURDAY 8 JULY 2017
A SPECTACULAR FAMILY DAY OUT!
BOOK NOW at royalnavy.mod.uk/yeovilton-airday

Ann Iverson is the author
of four poetry collections.
Her poems have
appeared in a wide
variety of journals and
venues including Writer’s
Almanac with Garrison
Keillor. Her art work has
been featured in several
art exhibits as well as in
a permanent installation
at the University of
Minnesota Amplatz
Children’s Hospital.
Her collection Art
Lessons was selected to
be in the Vincent Van
Gogh Library the
Netherlands. She
recently wrote and
illustrated her first
children’s story which
was published in 2016.
Her writing and art can
be viewed at
anniverson.weebly.com.
Ann feels fortunate that
she has been given
these gifts as a path
through life – its losses
and its loves.
My step son, Randy Iverson, Jr.
enlisted in the United States Army in
2001 and in 2002 he was deployed to
Iraq. He was trained as a Military Police
Officer – Canine Unit and with a huge sense
of patriotism and pride, he served his country
in extreme conditions for over nine years.
The years that Randy spent in harm’s way
were beyond difficult, most certainly for him,
but also for his father and me. There is only
so much one can do to keep your mind from
going down the dreaded path of what could
happen. I found that to document the
experience through the lens of my poet’s eye,
I was able to find new roads to travel that lead
to a sense of healing – I think for all of us.
Over the years I have published four
collections of poetry, three of them contain
war poems with Definite Space being
predominantly about Randy’s three
deployments. As our family continues to heal,
I have relied on writing to sustain me and to
help me find a way to make sense of the loss
and the pain. If my words can lend meaning
to a time that just seems inexplicable, then
they have served their purpose.
Experiences such as war that burrow so
deeply inside, need to find a way to the light.
For me, just when I think I am done writing
about the war, another poem taps and I
gladly open the door. I think that if you can
put some pain on paper, it lessens the heart’s
load - after all words and thoughts have
weight. As a poet, if I did not transcribe the
poems that come to me, then I would not be
myself. Tampering with this arrangement is
dangerous. Long ago, I made a bargain with
the worlds of my life; if I made them poems,
they promised me meaning.
I have always encouraged my step son to
find artistic ways to aid the healing process.
He has done some of this. One of the photos
included is an interesting drawing he did that
renders the war from his dog’s view. It is
fascinating that the soldier himself is mostly
absent in the image, but the dog is forefront,
alert to all before him. There is a certain
sense of mystery to this piece and I hope that
he continues to think about ways to tell his
story – as time and the heart allows.
| 26 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk

From definite space
When a Son Goes Off to War
I walk out into the world alone at dusk
watch blackbirds with no strategic plan,
mission, or vision gather in the naked
tree.
Hundreds of them fly in for this
impromptu session,
where they put their wings together and
form
an ark of shadow, a coalition between
light and dark,
while from branches, decisions scatter
in the air.
Filled with privilege like never before,
I open myself to the visual world
where doctrine and creed do not matter
so even God finds himself amongst
their turning eyes looking West,
knowing everything we long to know
about how light ends
and darkness has its way.
From art lessons
Walter Reed Army Medical facility
December, 2009 for RJ
Early morning, I gather soft murmurs on
the hotel shuttle:
The first surgery nicked his colon, ten
more after that
His dad left on Saturday
Mom leaves on Sunday
A sister leaves Wednesday
An aunt arrives on Thursday
Inside every heart, there’s a painting, one of oil never drying.
Inside these walls are portraits of life impossible to render.
One canvas offers:
an Army Champlain around a make-shift altar in the jungle;
one chopper hovers overhead.
The soldiers’ hands are folded, heads bowed.
If there is a silence beyond silence, here it is.
As though on skateboards,
legless boys cruise the grounds on electronic devices.
Sisters and mothers chase them.
Someone tries to tell me the left leg is target,
key seat in the hummer, but I see the right gone too.
I see the middle of nowhere.
I see the nothingness.
I digest the cost for freedom.
These days the wound is left open until signs of infection are gone.
I wish you could cut the heart open, mend it
then let it drain and dry for days in the sun.
Second canvas provides: a priest washing a soldier’s feet.
Some days, I think there is nothing holy left.
But if there is a holy beyond holy, I’ll take it in.
We lie on soft mats with soldiers in meditation.
She tells us to forget about ourselves,
introduces us to each part of our being.
I whispered to myself no more war poems. I told myself that.
Three a.m. First Call from Baghdad
Like screaming maniacs,
we plummet
down the flight of stairs
could have easily broken
all our legs.
The sharp pierce
of the ring’s limited life
find the phone
find the phone
where the fuck is the phone
here it is
here it is
then
your voice so sane.
War poem
Since we came to this field with pain
is this the path where love should end?
As wild lupine diminish
and secrets of the garden unfold.
What is told is mostly sorrow.
We filled this prairie with so much sorrow.
We took our hands
and threw grief to the wild.
It took it for a while, but then the deer
who once came, left for good.
Their sudden darting disappeared.
Even the bunnies are now just clay
a statuary of their lives
before we entered.
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 27 |

The Veterans’ Magazine
The War Poppy Collection
Jacqueline Hurley talks to the SBT
about her stunning works of art
100 Years of Vera
SPONSORED BY:
As Dame Vera Lynn celebrates
her 100th Birthday we look back
at her incredible story
Osteopath
The SBT News
This week’s latest national
and international news
from the world of Veterans
and Armed Forces
Issue 29 | March 2017
SPONSORED BY:
Osteopath
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
SPONSORED BY:
Ken Brooks
Osteopath
SPONSORED BY:
Osteopath
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