To those who gave so much, we thank you.
Tomorrow Corps Security will be commemorating the 75th anniversary of VE Day, which saw the end of the Second World War. With many of our security officers being former menbers of the armed services, this is a poignant moment in our history.
Although our planned events have been unable to go ahead, because of the Coronavirus outbreak, our teams throughout the UK will be remembering all those who gave their lives in the Second World War to ensure we all enjoy and share the freedom we have today. Many individuals will also raise a toast at 3pm today to the heroes, using the traditional words of the nation’s toast –to those who gave so much, we thank you.
At the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, Corps had 5,186 colleagues, of which 1,355 joined up to serve – the remainder being over the age limit.
The Corps of Commissionaires (now Corps Security) was founded by Captain Sir Edward Walter in 1859 as a means of offering ‘gainful employment’ to ex-servicemen returning from the Crimean War. By 1880, Corps had over 1,000 members operating in London, Belfast, and Liverpool. Only four years later, the company expanded to Australia, where there is still an active veterans’ association today.
A great deal has changed since 1859. Medical professionals have recognised the need to address mental health alongside physical health; the nature of service jobs has altered greatly; the process of a career transition has become significantly more complex. There are a multitude of ways that life has become both simpler and far more complicated for ex-service personnel. Through all of this, Corps has stayed connected to its history and continued to create an environment that welcomes and respects veterans.
“Although we now also recruit from outside the ex-forces’ talent pool, we have never left behind our founding ideals,” said Mike Bullock, CEO of Corps Security. “We currently work with the charity Combat Stress, the UK’s leading charity for veterans’ mental health support, which demonstrates our ongoing commitment to our military veterans. Although we are all apart today, we join together in spirit to remember all those who lost their lives during the Second World War.”
