With flowers and building lighting in his memory, Britain today paid tribute to Captain Tom Moore, who died at the age of 100 and touched the hearts of millions by offering a simple message of hope and self-sacrifice during the lockdown over the coronavirus.
Moore, who raised tens of millions of pounds for the National Health Service while walking in his garden, died yesterday at Bedford Hospital of COVID-19 and pneumonia.
He also fought cancer for five years.
Captain Tom had started a fundraiser to initially raise λί 1,000 and donate it to the National Health System to fight the coronavirus.
His effort soon went viral and the amount raised eventually reached tens of millions of pounds.
Outside his house in Marston Mortain, which is 80 km from London, children were leaving flowers today.
A message read: “Rest in peace, Captain Tom. We love you”.
“You will always be our hero. Thank you for your warm heart and your wonderful smile. Rest in Peace”.
His photograph was displayed in Piccadilly Square in central London, while the London Eye, Wembley Stadium and Blackpool Tower were illuminated in his honor.
Condolences were sent by Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and even the White House, as footballers, students and his family mourned a man whom millions consider a lockdown hero.
Amid a pandemic of growing deaths and cases, the example of Captain Moore, a war veteran, resonated with millions of people: his message to the world was that the sun would shine again.
“To all those people who are having a hard time right now: the sun will shine on you again and the clouds will disappear,” Moore said, dressed in his blazer, tie and medals from the war as he completed his walk. in his garden in April.
“You all have to remember that in the end we will overcome it, everything will go well, but it may take time. “In the end, however, we will all be well again,” Moore said.
Born in Yorkshire, northern England, where he grew up, Moore had served in India, Myanmar (formerly Burma) and Sumatra during World War II.
Always polite and elegant in his public appearances, Moore had an excellent sense of humor.
Asked about speculation that he would be crowned knight by the queen, he replied that he would find it funny to be known as “Sir Thomas Moore”, a reference to Thomas Moore of the Tudor dynasty.
He was eventually crowned knight by Queen Elizabeth at a ceremony held at Windsor Castle.
Health Minister Matt Hancock said the country would honor the memory of Captain Moore.
“We need to find a way to ensure that we honor Captain Tom's memory and thank him for his contribution to the National Health System. “It touched the heart of the nation and we must remember that,” Hancock told BBC television.
