A man who bravely fought behind enemy lines during the Second World War, will be unable to commemorate a remembrance occasion with his special forces peers this year because of coronavirus restrictions.

For more than three decades Alex Borrie, 96, from Slade Green, near Dartford, has been meeting up with fellow veterans every year at the Fields of Remembrance in the grounds of Westminster Abbey.

After travelling to London and witnessing the sea of scarlet first hand, Alec would attend a Thursday service at The Cloisters where the names of all the Special Air Service (SAS) men who died throughout the year are read out.

He would then go for a curry lunch and drinks with the other veterans at the SAS barracks.

This year though, Alec will have to find another way to commemorate those who have lost their lives.

He said: "Sadly this year I will not be able to attend I am very very disappointed, as I am not sure, due to pandemic restrictions, how I will be able to mark this important date.

"It means a lot to me because my dad was in the First World War, he didn't get killed but my uncle did, so I've always got memories to bring."

The Royal British Legion have been organising the Fields of Remembrance in the grounds of Westminster Abbey since 1928, but has been dramatically scaled down this year due to the pandemic.

People are also being encouraged to leave virtual tributes on the Royal British Legion website, if they are shielding and unable to visit the Abbey in person.

Alec's usual meal and drinks with fellow SAS veterans has had to be cancelled.

The former soldier said: "Of course now there are so few of us veterans left, and people want to come and talk."

Alec had a wild and eventful period in the military during the Second World War, but when he volunteered for the 1st SAS he didn't actually know what he was signing up for.

He said: "They didn't tell us what we were going to have to do until after we did our jumps, then they said 'it's up to you whether you stay or go.'

"But no-one left as far as I know."

Whereas many of the SAS men were sent to the D-Day Normandy landings, Alec was dropped off in France to drive through the German lines, supporting the Resistance who were struggling against the power of the German forces.

Alec said: "We were two months behind enemy lines, which is quite a long time, and half didn't survive."

Many of his peers were either killed in action or betrayed and shot as spies.

Alec himself had a lucky escape when he was involved in intercepting a small German convoy, which turned out to be far bigger than they thought.

But despite being dropped behind enemy lines and not seeing another English person for two months, Alec said at the time he just thought of it as part of the job.

He said: "I've got to be honest with you, it didn't bother me or the people we were with much at all.

"You did what you could do - we did the job other people do not want to do, but there's no supermen."

The SAS are known as an elite British military force, which are used for special operations, surveillance and counter-terrorism.

The force is famous for its 'Who Dares Wins' philosophy and the top-secret missions it undertakes.

But Alec said the SAS servicemen and women often get a bad reputation from people who see their secretive organisation as something to be feared.

"A lot has been built up by the SAS , making us out to be what we're not," he said.

"We've been called thugs and the lowest of the low and all sorts of things, but that's people who don't know us.

"The trouble is that people don't know about what went on and what is going on, so what they don't know they're inclined to invent."

'A lot has been built up by the SAS, making us out to be what we're not...'

"We're ordinary people, I know that sounds odd but you couldn't pick us out from the crowd."

Alec hopes to attend his local church for a service to remember those who died in the line of duty.

This year marks 101 years since ceremonies to commemorate the war dead were first held.

But many events are being altered or cancelled in order to keep people safe from the spreading of coronavirus.

To find out which events are going ahead in Kent, click here.

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