RGS alumnus and regular visitor to the School, Mike Stone (1929-39), featured recently in the Worcester News:
 

'A BLIND D-Day veteran from Worcester marched at the Cenotaph in London this Remembrance Sunday with the charity Blind Veterans UK.

Michael Stone, 97, who lives in the Barbourne area of the city, marched as part of the national Remembrance Sunday commemorations with more than 100 other blind veterans supported by Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-service men and women.

Mr Stone joined the Royal Artillery in 1940. He served throughout Europe, most notably in Normandy, where he landed on the beaches on D-Day as a young officer in charge of four guns.

He said: “I had the opportunity to become an Air Observation Post pilot in 1944 and I was very proud to receive my army wings.”

He was demobbed in October 1946.

Mr Stone lost his sight three years ago due to macular degeneration. He found out about Blind Veterans UK and started receiving support from the charity in 2016.

He said: “I find my sight loss extremely irritating and it has affected my life considerably. The charity though have been extraordinarily helpful and good. They are always inviting me to things and you never feel forgotten about. I can’t praise them enough”.

As well as enjoying the social events and rehabilitation courses the charity organises, Mr Stone has also been provided with an Optelec Reader which has changed his life.

He said: “I was very proud to represent all the boys who didn’t return home and was thinking about all the ones that I knew personally.” '