Chris Willmott  served with 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment between 1977 and  1981, and again between 2010 and 2011. He also served with 289 commando battery Royal Artillery between 1988 and 1996. After he left the military, Chris worked for both the Hampshire and London Fire Brigades.

In 2017, Chris was asked to assist us to support Arthur Letchford, a WWII veteran who had also served with the 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment on a small trip to Arnhem. Both Chris and Arthur belonged to the same Parachute Regiment Association branch, and as Arthur’s usual companions were unavailable for this trip, Chris was delighted to step in.

Since that first trip, Chris has regularly been to Wageningen in May, Normandy in June and Arnhem in September over the years and has attended several UK-based trips. He also regularly visits individual veterans and their families at their homes.

Chris was asked to become a Taxi Charity ambassador in October 2024.

We asked Chris about what he enjoys most about volunteering with the charity and he said:

"I think the joy of being with the charity as the companion of a veteran is due to the synergy that exists from the beginning to the end of the trips abroad. The veterans, companions, carers, support staff, and the interaction with the locals at all levels, makes being part of the trips a very rewarding experience."