RAF veteran Glenn Smith suffered complex PTSD after helping with the Lockerbie disaster clean up operation as a young man.
And now he’s returning to the town to battle his demons and pay his respects to the victims of the 1988 tragedy.
Manchester based Glenn is taking part in his third Walking Home For Christmas campaign, which will bring him to Lockerbie next week in time for the 35th anniversary.
He left his home in Wythenshawe on Tuesday, carrying a 30kg pack, and is being accompanied on the 160 mile trek north by Gary Baker from Wythenshawe Community Amateur Theatrical Society.
The pair will walk up to 20 miles a day and will bed down in hammocks and tarpaulins every night, whatever the weather.
Glenn’s two eldest sons will join them in Ecclefechan to walk the final few miles into Lockerbie and he aims to arrive at the Sherwood memorial in time to pay his respects at 7.03 pm on December 21. He will leave there a photo of the grave of a Stockport family who were onboard the doomed plane.
Glenn’s efforts are in aid of the Walking With The Wounded charity which works with the NHS to get those who served and their families, whether mentally, socially or physically wounded, back on their feet and making a positive contribution once more.
Over £800 has already been pledged and Glen said: “Each year, around 70 veterans lose their battle with their inner demons and take their own lives. I’ve lost friends this way. I want to reduce this figure as much as possible.”
And explaining his Lockerbie connection, he added: “I was in the RAF at the time and was sent there shortly afterwards as part of the investigation and clean up operation. This left me with complex PTSD.”
