A FORMER Royal Navy captain from Dorset is one of 50 veterans, carers, and staff from the charity Help for Heroes who will commemorate the service and sacrifice of all those who have served in the military at the Cenotaph march-past in London on Remembrance Sunday.

Carol Betteridge, from Blandford, joined the charity following a distinguished career in the Royal Navy.

She joined the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service in 1990 and deployed to Iraq as an operating theatre sister.

She was appointed commanding officer during the war in Afghanistan in support of 3 Commando Brigade and ran the field hospital in Helmand Province.

Following a seven-month tour Carol returned to the UK and the Royal Centre of Defence Medicine (RCDM), based at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, as second-in-command.

Following her deployment, she was awarded the NATO Meritorious Service Medal and an OBE, in 2012, for her leadership in Afghanistan. 

Carol was promoted to captain, in February 2013, was appointed Chief of Staff (COS) and assisted with operational planning for both the drawdown from Afghanistan and military assistance to the Ebola outbreak in Africa. 

Following her retirement from the Royal Navy, in August 2015, she joined Help for Heroes, assisting veterans with their healthcare within the NHS, liaising with the MOD, other charities, and government agencies. She is now the Deputy Services Director for the organisation.

Looking ahead to her participation in the Remembrance Day parade, Carol, 63, said: “Remembrance is a quiet time for reflection on a part of our lives that unites us all regardless of beliefs, social status or where we are in the world. It’s also personal to everyone.

“For me, it is a time to honour those who serve today, those who gave their lives for our freedom, and those who continue to fight their own war battling with physical and psychological injuries.

“It’s also a time to recognise the families who have supported and sacrificed so much, and to hope for peace – particularly with the unrest and conflicts around the world today.”

She added: “Remembrance isn’t just an annual event for me though; I often think of my colleagues deployed, those who despite all our efforts we lost, and the veterans still suffering that Help for Heroes continues to support.”