At 11 a.m. today, much of the nation will fall silent in remembrance of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our great country. For some, thoughts will focus on the enormous death toll of the two world wars. But many of us will be reflecting on losses from more recent conflicts.

During the 1991 Gulf War, I was shot down, captured, tortured and paraded on TV. My war back then was both short and unpleasant, but I was fortunate enough to return home to my family. Others have not been as blessed, so I will be thinking of countless RAF friends who have died both in training and in action over the years. My friend Mary Fowler, for example, will be thinking of her beloved dad who was killed during the Falklands war in 1982.

The Round Tower just outside the docks at Portsmouth was the best place to watch the big ships come in and Mary went there often in April 1982. Aged 13, she would hurry there after school, just in case. Her dad was a sailor on HMS Coventry and after months at sea, he was due home soon. Petty Officer Michael ‘Foxy’ Fowler was a wonderful father: patient, loving and always joking around. ‘We did so much together, and he was always full of fun,’ recalls Mary.

Many of us will be reflecting on losses from more recent conflicts.

I am dyslexic, and he devoted himself to helping me with reading and........

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