Legion feared no one would attend army vet’s funeral – but best thing happened

Crowds of strangers turned up to the funeral of a troubled British army veteran who was known to sell poppies in his hometown every year.

A coroner was unable to find any relatives to let them know of Stewart Kingdom’s passing and it was feared that no one would attend his funeral.

The Crewkerne branch of the Royal British Legion in Somerset then began an appeal to try and get people to pay their respects to the 54-year-old.

The campaign gathered momentum, reaching not only those from Somerset but also far beyond.

On Friday former friends, ex-servicemen and Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh flocked to Yeovil Crematorium to pay their respects to the army veteran who is believed to have taken his own life.



Stewart served in tours of Northern Ireland, and he also served in the Falklands campaign of 1982 and the first Gulf war in 1991.

But after he left the army in 1997, his life "seemed to be one tragedy after another".

His father died in hospital during a routine operation in 1997 and his mother was so distraught by his father’s death, she took her own life the very same day.

On the day of his mother and father’s funeral his sister was killed in a road accident.


A few years later he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and PTSD which caused the eventual breakdown of his marriage.

His battle with Parkinson’s became so extreme he had to be fitted with an electronic implant inserted into his brain several years ago.

He spent the remainder of his years of his life standing at local Poppy Appeal stalls in Yeovil in Somerset until ‘life was no longer worth living’.

Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at [email protected]

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