Moira Cameron
Yeoman Warder, Tower of London
Service Record: Army, 1985 – 2007
"The transferable skills I took from the Forces were self-discipline, a sense of independence and hopefully a good attitude to life."
Transcript
We are Beefeaters. It is a nickname that was given to us. We can only assume it was given to us because we used to be paid a ration of beef as part of our wages, for the protein to keep us big and strong.
I joined the Army in 1985. I enjoyed myself in the Army. I really did. It was good to me. I left in 2007, after spending 22 years.
I had a job lined up back home, to become an electrician and then this came up.
Escort to the keys! Right in the centre. Quick! March!
The job is the custodians of the Tower of London and all that lies within. We're here for the internal security of the Tower. We're here for the health and safety of the visitors, and here as a visitor focus.
There's quite a big Forces community here. There are thirty-five veterans here.
People don't understand what the Forces do. All they're hearing about at the moment is Iraq and Afghanistan, and a lot of people are against that. It's such a shame because they forget that, you know, the soldiers and the sailors and the airmen are all fighting for Queen and country.
Veterans' Day could possibly inform the public that we are here and we're here for a good reason. We're fighting for the people who live in Britain.
The transferable skills that I took from the Forces was a self-discipline – although some may not agree with that – my own sense of independence, a confidence, the ability to know that I can do things that I want to do, and hopefully a good attitude to life.