A
nine-day-old baby boy snuggles next to his soldier daddy's helmet in one
of hundreds of heart-warming photos entered for a military calendar.
Blake
Valentine-Pottinger's father, David Pottinger, 23, was on duty in
Afghanistan when his wife, Carlie, discovered she was pregnant - and
only just made it home in time for the birth of his son. more pics after the cut
The
touching photo is one of more than 300 entered in a national
competition to show the special bond between the Armed Forces and their
families - with the winners included in a calendar to raise funds for
charity My Daddy Is A Soldier Adventures.
A calendar of moving images showing
the bond between soldiers and their children is being released, pictured
Blake Stephen Valentine-Pottinger when he was just nine days old for
the March page of the Little Troopers calendar, his dad was on duty in
Afghanistan when he discovered his wife was pregnant
The top-rated photograph captures the
moment two-year-olds Lily Townley-Taylor and Phoenix Prue, who is
dressed in his dad's uniform, share a kiss on the lips as the sit in
front of an army plane
There were 300 images submitted with
12 chosen to feature, pictured Colour Sergeant Chris Osborne cuddling
his daughters Lana, two and Amy, four, at a colour consecration ceremony
Pottinger,
a 23-year-old private, currently posted in Bulford, Wiltshire, managed
to get home for the birth - only to be deployed weeks later.
The
best 12 images showing the special bond between children and their
servicemen fathers have been chosen for a 2016 fundraising calendar,
with tiny Blake featuring on the page for March, alongside his daddy's
campaign medal with bar.
The
top-rated photo, which will be used for April, shows two toddlers
sharing a kiss on the lips - united by their bond and their fathers both
serve in 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment.
The
photo captures the moment between two-year-olds Lily Townley-Taylor and
Phoenix Prue, who is dressed in his dad's uniform, as they sit in front
of an army plane.
Sgt Whotton and son Tyler, 2, make the
August page of the Little Troopers calendar. The touching photo was one
of more than 300 entered in a national competition to show the special
bond between the Armed Forces and their families with the winners
included in a calendar to raise funds for charity My Daddy Is A Soldier
Adventures
Nick Head pictured with his daughters
Sian, 9, and Ceri, 12, for the October page of the calendar. The best 12
images have been chosen for a 2016 fundraising calendar, with tiny
Blake featuring on the page for March, alongside his daddy's campaign
medal with bar
An adorable image of Marley Meite,
three, has been selected for the September page of the Little Troopers
calendar in his dad's uniform
In
second place is the photo of proud Colour Sergeant Chris Osborne
cuddling his daughters Lana, two and Amy, four, at a colour consecration
ceremony.
The girls, who live with their mother, Ellie, and father in Dhekelia, Cyprus, feature on the July page of the calendar.
A
photo of eight-day-old Julian Alexander Williams, wrapped up in
33-year-old dad Lance Corporal Stuart Williams's guard's uniform, has
been selected for the December page.
And
a moving image showing Lance Corporal Michael Emmings, 24, being
reunited with family after a six-and-a-half-month tour of Afghanistan is
featured on the February page.
Mum
Charlotte Emmings, 27, said she was 'absolutely delighted' that the
photo of she and her soldier husband hugging their nine-month-old baby,
was chosen.
She said: 'Being picked is very special to us as it captures a moment of great happiness in our lives.'
An image of Corporal Aaron Fell
embracing his son Archie Fell, now aged 4, has been selected for the
June page of the Little Troopers calendar, which has been created by My
Daddy Is A Soldier Adventures - a charity which supports service
families - which is soon to be renamed Little Troopers
Eight-day-old Julian Alexander
Williams, wrapped up in 33-year-old dad Lance Corporal Stuart Williams's
guard's uniform, in Hounslow, London, at Cavalry Barracks has been
selected for the December page. The charity founder said: 'It is
humbling to see the pride they have for their Soldier and the special
bond that they share even though they can be apart for many months of a
year.'
Adam Edwards Lance Corporal holds his daughter Bleddyn, now aged three, has been chosen for the May page
The
calendar has been created by My Daddy Is A Soldier Adventures - a
charity which supports service families - which is soon to be renamed
Little Troopers.
Founder Louise Fetigan said: 'Growing up in an army family can be so hard, but also so rewarding.
'We received over 300 pictures for our calendar competition, from families based across the world.
'It
is humbling to see the pride they have for their Soldier and the
special bond that they share even though they can be apart for many
months of a year.'
The charity supports children based across the globe with soldier parents, regular or reserve British Army.
Dreaming of you: Teleri Mai Rees,
four, holds a doll of her dad Sgt Marc Rees in an image that has been
chosen for the November page
Emotional embrace: Lance Corporal
Michael Emmings with his wife Charlotte and baby Oakley, reunited after
a six-and-a-half-month tour of Afghanistan feature on the February page
of the calendar. The charity supports children based across the globe
with soldier parents, regular or reserve British Army
A photo showing the line up of the
Pidgeon family shoes (left to right) dad Michael, mum Stacey, Thomas, 9,
George, 3 and Darcie, six months has been picked for the January page
of the Little Troopers calendar
Lilly McHenry-van Staden, eight, wearing her father's helmet on the front cover of the Little Troopers calendar
Soldiers
are often away from the family home for long periods of time due to
deployments, exercises or courses with restricted communication and
often missing birthdays, Christmas and other milestones.
As
well as the twelve photos picked for the months of the year, another
will appear on the front cover and 25 more shortlisted entries will
feature on the back cover.
No comments:
Post a Comment