Jim Brown is a Veteran Royal Marine and VOS member based on the Isle of Wight. He made the move to this Island just over a year ago and has since settled in well, thanks to the new friends he has made when visiting the VOS IOW Social Hubs. 

Here to shares his story about the difference this opportunity to socialise with fellow veterans has made to his day to day life! 

“In October 1966 I left Newcastle Central Station to travel to The Depot Royal Marines in Deal Kent, when I arrived that evening I was sworn in and signed up for 12 years’ service and joined 857 Squad. After 18 weeks of basic training we passed out and moved to the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (C.T.C.R.M.) in Devon. After a further 18 weeks of training including the Commando Course I received my Green Beret and passed out ready for deployment. In August 1967 on my 18th birthday I was posted to 45 Commando based in Aden where I joined Zulu company in Ma’alla as a rifleman. After that I trained as a landing craft crewman and joined HMS Intrepid in Singapore from 1968 to 1970.

I also served at HMS Warrior, 42 Commando and A.T.U.R.M. Poole I left the Royal Marines in 1979 but I am still in contact with 3 of my squad mates on a WhatsApp group.

I joined the Devon and Cornwall Police in 1979 as a uniformed Police Officer in East Devon, I passed a Police Trainers Course in 1988 and was seconded to the Home Office Police Training Centre in Chantmarle Dorset on promotion to Sergeant as a Law Instructor. I retired from the Police in 2001 and lived in Exmouth Devon with my wife Iris and my son Andrew, I joined the local Royal Marines Association (RMA) and it was nice to renew friendships with former friends and make new ones.”

“In 2017 we moved to Southampton but as there was no RMA branch and I lost contact with most of my service friends. My wife Iris died in 2019 and after a 5 year wait, I sold my flat and moved to the Isle of Wight in June 2024.” 

“Soon after I moved I went to an Older Persons Event at Sandown Airport where I found the Veterans Outreach Support stand, I spoke to the very friendly staff and I was given a leaflet with the times and locations of their meetings, the next one was a few days later at the Military Museum in Northwood, I went along and was welcomed in by everyone there including another former Royal Marine, it felt really nice to once again be in the company of like-minded veterans.”

“I also attended their monthly meeting at the Riverside Centre in Newport where there were a lot of information tables from various organisations offering help and plenty of coffee and biscuits and friendly advice. I now attend all of the meetings I can, I am always made very welcome by everyone, I have made many new friends and I now have a good reason to go out.”

“I am so grateful that I found the VOS organisation, it has really changed my life, whereas in Southampton I spent most days sitting in my flat on my own feeling lonely only going out to get shopping. Now with a full calendar of VOS events to attend each month I have plenty of reasons to go out!”

“I always carry some of the VOS leaflets with me and if I meet any new veterans I give them a leaflet and encourage them to come along and see for themselves what a difference VOS can make to their lives and the support on offer to them.”

Image above: Picture of Jim Brown at one of the IOW Social Hubs. 

Watch Jim talk about his experience in the video below (or link to YouTube here)