The Unknown Warriors

Silent Scandal

While working on this book project I noticed that in local papers throughout the UK there was regular
stories tucked away in the pages of some disgusting crimes against our elderly. It is a 'silent scandal
that the generation who fought so bravely for this country are (and for many now -were) afraid to walk
to the shops in the evening or even safe in their own homes. For a generation that never even locked
their front doors in their youth, the level of crime and violence today and the pathetic sentences really
shocks them.

Over the last twenty years many (how many?!) WW2 pensioners have been abused in the street, mugged, threatened, raped, murdered or burgled.
This list is for 2010 & 2011, to see a shocking list of crimes from previous years CLICK HERE. These are just what I have came across and is by no means a comprehensive list.

HEAD INJURIES - 90 year old lady hospitalised with large gash to forehead and black eye after 3 men invade her home. Bolton, Lancs. Nov 11 MORE HERE
BROKEN JAW - 85 year old man attacked on his way to church by a gang and left with broken jaw. Denaby, South Yorks. Nov 11 MORE HERE
DOUBLE ATTACK - 89 and 94 year old ladies have their homes forcibly entered by burgulars, the 94 year old was held down in her bed for 20 minutes, as another burgular ransacked the house. The 89 year old was left with injuries to her arm, after 3 men entered her home. Northern Ireland, Oct 11 MORE HERE
BADLY BEATEN - 85 year old lady attacked in her home by intruders, taken to hospital for cuts and bruising, Belfast, Sept 11 MORE HERE
BROKEN JAW - 87 year old lady attacked in street by 3 muggers. Dragged along the ground, jaw broken, shattered arm and facial injuries, Bradford, Aug 11 MORE HERE
BROKEN ARM - 87 year old lady thrown to the ground and mugged on her way to church, Glasgow, Aug 11 MORE HERE
100 YEAR OLD MUGGED - 5 Eastern Europeans dragged a 100 year old ladyfrom her wheelchair and shoved her into a shop toilet to steal her pension, Romford, Essex, Aug 11 MORE HERE
SECATEURS ON THROAT - Partially sighted 89 year old man awoken in bed with man pressing secateur blade pressed up against his throat. Wallet stolen, panic alarm and phone disconnected. Bletchley, Milton Keynes, JUL 11 MORE HERE
MUGGING MURDER - 89 year old lady who served in the WAAF during the war attacked for shopping bag on the street and left with serious head injuries resulting in death. Cleckheaton, West Yorks, June 11 MORE HERE & HERE
ARSON - Care home full of elderly residents set ablaze in the middle of the night in arson attack. Residents treated for shock and smoke inhalation. Leeds, June 11 MORE HERE
DEATH AFTER ATTACK - 87 year old man dies in hospital after attack by intruders leaving him with head, hip and arm injuries. Oswestry, Shropshire, June 11 MORE HERE
SUFFOCATED TO DEATH - 92 year old British WW2 veteran who was a Desert Rat Medic murdered. Found dead with blanket tied round his face at his home. Johannesburg South Africa, June 11 MORE HERE
MURDERED AT HOME - 83 year old man attacked in his home by intruders, found dead. Worcestershire, June 11 MORE HERE
BEATEN TO DEATH - 94 year old blind lady murdered by two home intruders, Birmingham, May 11 MORE HERE
JUMPED FROM BEHIND - 94 year old man using walking frame, attacked from behind, thrown to floor and mugged. Bournemouth, May 11 MORE HERE
KILLED ON THE STREET - 88 year old WWII Royal Navy veteran thrown to floor in a daylight mugging, dies 6 days later in hospital. Walking stick taken by robber. Stirlingshire, Apr 11 MORE HERE, HERE & update HERE
BATTERED & BRUISED - 88 year old lady dies after serious care home neglect. One of 650 similar deaths in the last 5 years according to a recent report. Middlesborough, Apr 11 MORE HERE
BEATEN WITH OWN WALKING STICK - Man in his 80's beaten by 3 intruders. Bridgnorth, Shropshire, Mar 11 MORE HERE
BATTERED TO DEATH - 86 year old lady killed in her own home in a viscious attack by intruder, Bromley, Feb 11 MORE HERE
DISLOCATED SHOULDER - 85 year old mugged in the street, thrown to floor, dislocating shoulder but refused to let go of her bag., Stockton, Feb 11 MORE HERE
MURDER - 89 year old lady, found dead with head injuries at her home in Ryhll, beleived to be a relative of Captain Habesch, a WWII naval veteran, Wales, Feb 11 MORE HERE
MURDER DOWN UNDER - 87 year old lady found murdered in her back garden by home intruder. Adelaide, Australia Jan 11 MORE HERE
5 HOME RAIDS - 93 year old Home Guard veteran dies shortly after the 5th burgulary by the same man in one month. Birmingham, JAN11 MORE HERE
BEATEN UP - 94 year old lady attacked by intruder in her bedroom of a care home. Drawers ransacked. Bradford, Jan 11 MORE HERE
KICKED & BEATEN - 92 year old lady viciously attacked on her doorstep for £30, hospitalised. Manchester, Jan 11 MORE HERE
MURDER - 91 year old man found with severe head wounds at his home by his son over Christmas. Tottenham, London, Dec 10 MORE HERE
KNIFE ON THROAT - 84 year old lady pushed to floor in her home by intruder and a 6 inch blade pushed onto her throat. Back injuries. Paisley, Dec 10, MORE HERE
OXYGEN TURNED OFF - 90 year old lady awoke gasping after burgulars had deliberately switched off her vital oxygen supply, Bedworth, Warwickshire, Nov 10, MORE HERE
MUGGED 3 TIMES - 84 year old lady who lived with her 87 year old sister dies a few days after the 3rd mugging in 2 years, Burnley, Nov 10, MORE HERE
STREET ATTACK - 101 year old man with partial sight and poor hearing challenged gang after they kicked away his walking stick. Attacked and left hospitalised with facial injuries and cuts to arms and hands. Northampton, Oct 10, MORE HERE
BRUTAL MURDER - 89 year old WW2 veteran with a 'heart of gold' killed in his own home in violent attack, Blackburn, Oct 10, MORE HERE
BURNT ALIVE - 96 year old lady dies of burns and smoke inhalation, after having her bed set deliberately on fire in a care home. Cleveleys, Lancashire, Oct 10 MORE HERE
SEX ATTACK FILMED - 91 year old lady and her elderly carer forced to perform sex acts on each other by a gang leader who filmed them, to show as a 'trophy' to other gang members. Brixton, London, Sept 10 MORE HERE
BLUDGEONED WITH HAMMER - 86 year old lady attacked by intruder high on drugs who came in from kitchen back door. Emergency surgery for 2 skull fractures and a broken eye socket. Leeds, Sept 10, MORE HERE
SEX ORDEAL - 89 year old lady sexually abused by home intruder who stripped naked. Leeds, Sept 10 MORE HERE
FRACTURED CHEEKBONE - 83 year old lady attacked in the street for £20 Victim said 'I won’t let this beat me, no. I would rather lie down and die.' Macclesfield, Sept 10 MORE HERE
103 YEAR OLD - ex WW2 blitz air raid warden dies after 'never being the same' after he was violently attacked in his home last Oct. and thrown to the floor for £12, Croydon, Aug 10 MORE HERE
FACE SLASHED - 83 year old lady attacked by knifeman in her home.Tied up, face and arms slashed with knife, puncture wounds and arm fractured, Newham, London, Aug 10 MORE HERE
THROWN TO FLOOR - 90 year old Australian lady on a visit to the UK attacked after withdrawing money from cash machine, Dartford, Kent, Aug 10 MORE HERE
MUGGING MURDER - 90 year old WW2 Normandy veteran who was a driver for General Eisenhower mugged for £40 and his bus pass in the stairwell outside his flat. Left with broken bones etc, resulting in his death, South London, Aug 10 MORE HERE
MURDERED AT SHELTERED HOUSING - 88 year old lady found in her home, murdered with terrible injuries, Sunderland, Jul 10 MORE HERE
MUGGED IN STREET - 92 year old WW2 veteran attacked from behind outside his retirement complex, Manchester, Jul 10 MORE HERE
TWISTED PREDATOR - Convicted rapist carried out 4 night home raids, tying up and indecently assaulting victims including two aged 87 and 94. Money stolen. Callander, Scotland, Jul 10 MORE HERE
HIT & RUN - 91 year old lady recovering from cancer surgery hit by car and left with crippling injuries. Driver and passenger got out the car but then drove off without helping or phoning 999. Gravesend, June 10 MORE HERE
ALZHEIMERS SUFFERER - 84 year old man returning from shopping attacked in flats hallway and threatened with broken bottle. Bus pass stolen. Camden, London, Jun 10 MORE HERE
BROKEN NOSE - 85 year old lady attacked on the street by 32 year old man. Broken nose, gashed head and two black eyes, Netherton, West Midlands, Jun 10, MORE HERE
STABBED TO DEATH - 87 year old widowed great grandmother murdered by burgular in her 15th floor flat in tower block, Charlton, London, MAY 10 MORE HERE
THROAT SLASHED - 85 year old WW2 Burma veteran violent death by home intruder, Dorset, May 10 MORE HERE
VIOLENTLY RAPED - 89 year old lady raped in her own house by intruder. Manchester, Apr 10 MORE HERE
GOOD FRIDAY PUNCHING - 90 year old lady attacked in her home by violent gang at Easter. Oxford, Apr 10 MORE HERE
BAG GRAB - 85 year old Scots Guard WW2 veteran and his 86 year old wife were out struggling on icy pavements, when a car pulled up and violently grabbed the ladies handbag from her shoulder. Slough, Feb 10 MORE HERE
BAG SNATCH - 86 year old lady stopped to give the time and was pushed onto the floor and her bag taken. Nelson, Lancs, Feb 10 MORE HERE
KNIFED TO DEATH - 94 year old WW2 veteran of Burma, Egypt and Borneo murdered. Repeatedly stabbed with knife by an intruder in his home. TV stolen. Borehamwood, Jan 10 MORE HERE
SEX ASSAULT - 87 year old man sexually assaulted by an intruder in his home. Oldham, Lancs, Jan 10 MORE HERE
KNOCKED TO GROUND - 95 year old ex Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot, knocked to the ground by a home intruder who stole £200, in the second raid on his home in one year. Tiverton, Devon, Jan 10 MORE HERE
NEW YEARS DAY MURDER - 88 year old lady beaten to death on her doorstep after returning from visiting family. Southend, Essex, Jan 10 MORE HERE