'Was it all worth it?', 100-year-old war veteran asks as he shares lessons learned on Remembrance Sunday
"Strong defence should be first," Mervyn Kersh tells LBC's Henry Riley
"We've learnt nothing", World War Two veteran Mervyn Kersh told LBC as he shared his thoughts on the importance of Remembrance Sunday.
Listen to this article
Mr Kersh, who served in the Royal Army Ordinande Corps, spoke to LBC's Henry Riley on the importance of Remembrance Day traditions.
"I think it's very important," said Mr Kersh.
"Because if you don't remember you're not alive. You learn nothing....Not we learnt much anyway.
"The main lesson that I would teach is that bullies don't attack anyone who is stronger than them. Strong defence should be first."
Mr Kersh, who turns 101 in a couple of weeks, served in the Royal Army Ordinande Corps in World War Two. Reflecting on the anniversary of D-day, he spoke to Henry about how he felt 80 years on.
"Was it all worth it? We have learnt nothing. And by 'we', I mean governments - the successive governments," he said.
"As I say, the most important thing is to be strong. It should come before anything else. It should before cheaper this, or freer that...the main thing is to have stronger defence than anyone else."
In February of this year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer set out plans to increase defence spending to 2.5% of national income by 2027.
Reports claim that prior to this, the Ministry of Defence were facing a black hole in its equipment budget of around £17bn over the next decade following years of cutbacks, according to the National Audit Office.
"I know it might seem a waste of money, but it saves our liberty, it saves having wars," Mr Kersh said.
Mr Kersh was also part of the team which liberated Bergen Belsen concentration camp. While waiting to be sent to Berlin, he said he realised he was only around three miles away and said he "went there every day" whilst he was waiting to be moved.
The 100-year-old was one of around 10,000 armed forces veterans who are taking part in the Royal British Legion’s march this Remembrance Sunday in Central London, travelling in a Poppy Cab.
Poppy Cabs have supported veterans Remembrance Day since 2009, volunteering to provide free transport to veterans to the to the Cenotaph and the Parade.
Reflecting with Henry, Mr Kersh agreed that the world needs to "stand up to bullies", and referenced Putin's invasion on Ukraine as an example of someone who "had attacked someone and got away with it".
He said that the world needs to be better prepared to deal with conflict.
"The first sign of aggression anywhere, the whole world should unite and stamp on it immediately."