'It's taken 45 years to feel like a veteran again'

A Guernsey veteran has described her emotions of being formally recognised as a former member of the armed forces at a Remembrance Sunday ceremony for the first time in 45 years.

Linda Garnham had served in the Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC) for five years, before being dismissed in 1980 for being gay.

She has since had her beret returned during a presentation at the National Arboretum Memorial in the UK after the ban on openly gay personnel was lifted in 2000.

Ms Garnham described her pride at the remembrance service held in St Peter Port on Sunday after "usually standing at the back in civilian clothes", added it was "hard to hold back the tears".

Before the year 2000, it was illegal to be openly gay in the British military.

Restoring the likes of berets and cap badges to discharged service personnel was among the recommendations made by the LGBTQ independent veterans review, a government-commissioned report from Lord Etherton in 2023.

Ms Garnham said she was proud to be part of the veterans' family and represented all the WRAC personnel.

She said: "I used to stand at the back just not feeling part of it. Now I actually do, I feel like a veteran again.

"It just brings back memories of when I was marching with the forces; and a little bit of anger as well, given I couldn't finish my service.

"I could have had a lot longer service."

The islander participated in Guernsey's Act of Remembrance parade to the war memorial on 9 November, among various cadet forces and standards from local organisations, followed by a two-minute silence to remember those who died in conflicts.

Speaking after the commemorations, Ms Garnham, said she was "hounded" all the way through her service "because they had suspicions I was gay".

She said: "We were interrogated, sent for psychiatric reports. I mean, they followed us, even on our weekend breaks they followed us, down to pubs under surveillance.

"It was horrendous. It's unbelievable what they did."

She joined the Army aged 17 and said she was "moved from pillar to post, always promised a promotion", which never materialised.

Ms Garnham's Army record said she was "no longer required - unnatural behaviour".

She went on to become a bus driver instead, one of the first women to do so in Guernsey, she said.

Asked whether she could forgive or forget: "I don't think I can ever forgive, because they took my career away from me.

"I was devastated when they kicked me out."

Ms Garnham said it was "unbelievable" the ban on gay personnel had since been overruled and everyone was now accepted as equal.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said the government "deeply regretted the treatment of LGBT serving personnel between 1967 and 2000" and said those dismissed were now able to apply to the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme (FRS).

The British Army's website now says: "Everyone in the Army, no matter what their sexual orientation or gender identity, has the right to be treated fairly with dignity and respect."

Ms Garnham said her own experience of discrimination prompted her to speak out.

She said: "Just don't let [your sexuality/gender orientation] stop you.

"If you've got a dream, go for it and live it, because mine was taken away from me.

"It's a fantastic life in the Army. I now feel part of the family again."

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at the BBC's Action Line.

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