By Saul Cooke-Black
AN EX-SOLDIER who has made it his task to walk the canals of England in aid of Help for Heroes will be walking along the Cotswold canals, Stroud, tomorrow (Friday).
Doug Hamilton-Cox, 69, from Dartmoor, has walked about seven thousand miles along the canals of England since 2009 and has 400 more to go.
Since doing the walks he has raised around £95,000 for the military charity, which helps soldiers wounded in conflicts.
Mr Hamilton-Cox enlisted as a boy soldier at the age of 15 in 1959 and completed nine years of service including stints in Malaya and Thailand.
After attending ceremonies at Wootton Bassett, he decided he wanted to do something to pay tribute to those who had fallen.
He said: "When the hearses pass through Wootton Bassett, the church bell tolls and crowds stand silent I was particularly moved and wondered what I could do to help the wounded."
He walks with different groups working to restore canals and will be meeting up with the Cotswold Canal Trust at around 12.00 tomorrow.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here