How a Hartlepool Second World War veteran humbled a hospital chief

Julie Gillon, chief executive at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust met with 103-year-old Terry Lewis at Stockton’s University Hospital of North Tees.

Ms Gillon said ‘Terry is almost certainly the last WW2 veteran of his age left in Hartlepool, and I dare say sadly, one of the last of in the country.

"Sitting with him, and hearing his experiences, and his utter resilience when facing some of the most enduring challenges of his life truly humbled me’.

It was in 1939 that Terry was called up to serve in the forces as part of the Military Training Act – and the then 21-year-old from Hartlepool set off to Harrogate to serve his country.

He explained to Ms Gillon – and colleagues Steve Hall, deputy chair and Ian Simpson, non-executive director from the Trust board of directors - how in the midst of the terror of fighting on foreign soil, his early demise actually almost occurred on a street corner in Hartlepool.

On 48 hours leave from the battlefield Terry returned home to see his family in the Whitby Street area of the town and, on his first night back, he had enjoyed a catch up with family and friends, chatting on the street corner.

The next night a bomb fell on the very same corner.

During 1940 and 1943, there were an estimated 43 air raids on Hartlepool, with 70 deaths and over 7,500 buildings in the town destroyed.

Terry’s war took him to South Africa, Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, Syria.

Terry also served through Dunkirk and faced some of the greatest challenges of his military career before returning home to Hartlepool to recommence his career in education.

Ms Gillon added: “Throughout our lives, professionally and personally, we will face some enormous challenges. It is how we choose to respond that shows the true character of our being.

"Terry reminded me of that as he thanked us for our visit, ending with a wonderful line ‘as they say in the North East Julie – keep gannin’.”