The Lord-Lieutenant of County Antrim, Mr David McCorkell, joined the Northern Irish Branch of the National Malaya & Borneo Veterans Association to lay wreaths of remembrance in Lisburn today. The event was organised by Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council.
Also in attendance:
- Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Cllr The Hon. Nicholas Trimble
- Mr David Burns, CEO of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council
- Colonel Norman Walker, OBE, TD, DL, who was representing the RAMC Association
- Lt Col Julian Kilpatrick, SCOTS, on behalf of the Armed Forces
- Mr Jim Lyons, NMBVA
- Mr Raymond Corbett, on behalf if the Royal British Legion
The Mayor said “With 75 years gone by since the end of the war, I’m privileged to be here today to pay tribute to these men and women, including our own local hero – Professor Frank Pantridge. Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council is privileged to continue to work very closely with the Malaya and Borneo Veteran’s Association and the Pantridge Trust. Today we remember the National Malaya Borneo Veterans who served alongside Professor Pantridge to give our country a better future. We commemorate them for their fortitude and invincible courage.”
Professor Pantridge grew up in Hillsborough. He served in the Royal Army Medical Corps as a lieutenant in WW2 and was awarded a Military Cross during the Fall of Singapore when he became a POW. He returned to Northern Ireland in 1950 and transformed medical history with his invention of the portable defibrillator.
In 1990, Professor Pantridge was awarded the honour of Freeman of the Borough by what was then Lisburn Borough Council. It is the highest honour the council can bestow and was given for his contribution to worldwide mobile coronary care.
For more information, please see the Council’s article by clicking here.
