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Mum marches on in memory of soldier son
AS the number of troops who have died in Afghanistan reaches 100, a distraught mother whose soldier son was killed in the line of duty is set to walk 100 miles to keep his memory alive.
AS the number of troops who have died in Afghanistan reaches 100, a distraught mother whose soldier son was killed in the line of duty is set to walk 100 miles to keep his memory alive.It is more than a year since Christine Bonner got the news every parent dreads.
Her son, Corporal Darren Bonner, was travelling in a convoy in the Helmand province in Afghanistan on May 28 last year, when it was struck by a landmine and exploded.
The lead Signaller serving with 1 Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment was killed after suffering severe injuries in the blast.
In the intervening weeks and months, Mrs Bonner has struggled to come to terms with the loss of 31-year-old Darren, who was hailed a "true hero" by the army.
Today, Mrs Bonner was delighted to learn that troops killed in action will be awarded a medal for the sacrifices they made in modern day conflicts.
Relatives of soldiers who have died in operations or terrorist activity will receive an emblem – possibly a silver cross – and a scroll, the Government has announced.
Today, Mrs Bonner said: "This is a major victory. But the other mums and I will continue to campaign so that the wounded will also be honoured."
Now in a bid to raise cash for the Royal Anglian Memorial Fund, and in a poignant display of solidarity with her son's comrades, she will make that fund-raising walk along with other mothers of troops who have died in war zones.
Mrs Bonner, who used to live in Thorney, near Peterborough, with her family, before moving to Tydd Gote, near Wisbech, said she hoped the walk, called 100 Miles for Nine Smiles, would raise 20,000.
She said: "It has been a very, very difficult time, and no matter how much I wish it I can never have my Darren back.
"However, I decided that I would like to do something positive and support the soldiers that stood shoulder to shoulder with my son when they were on tour.
"The Royal Anglians lost nine soldiers in the March to October tour of Afghanistan and many others were badly injured.
"So I decided to organise a 100-mile sponsored walk, on July 7, from Reading to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, with the help of the batallion.
"The charity I'm raising money for is the Royal Anglian Memorial Fund, which helps the families of the fallen, such as the children whose daddies won't be coming home again.
"Darren had two young sons that he left behind. It is also for the badly wounded soldiers whose lives have changed forever."
She will be joined by seven other mums of soldiers killed in the battlefields of Afghanistan, as well as some of Darren's comrades and friends and her daughters, Keely (30) and Dannielle (21).
She revealed the charity had helped Danielle's boyfriend, soldier Matt Woolard (19), who lost his leg two weeks before her son died.
She said: "They paid for his driving lessons. If he needed car adaptations, he could get help for that. It's little things like that that make a huge difference."
Continues on next pageThe Bonners have already helped to raise more than 13,000 for the cause.
Cpl Bonner, who went to Eastholm School, in Peterborough, was on his second tour of Afghanistan. He had also served in Bosnia, Sierra Leone and Iraq.
He was buried with full military honours in Enfield, north London.
To sponsor the mothers visit www.justgiving.com/christinebonner or send a cheque payable to CB1 R Anglian to Ambrajay, Hannath Road, Tydd Gote, Wisbech, PE13 5NA.
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Related: Read The ET's David Old accounts when he spent a week with The Royal Anglians in Afghanistan, September 2007
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