Imagine waking up to find that you have lost your sight – that is exactly what army veteran Eric Gouge went through after six-and-a-half years of fighting to protect our country.

Mr Gouge, 86, from Gravesend, served with the Royal East Kent regiment shortly after the end of the Second World War, working in places as far away as Hong Kong and Sudan.

But after losing his ability to see in later life, the pensioner is encouraging other ex-servicemen and women affected by vision impairment to get in touch with Blind Veterans UK – a charity dedicated to helping veterans discover a life beyond sight loss.

“I really enjoyed my time as a regular soldier,” he said. “I was a storeman mainly, but my role also involved guarding Japanese war criminals. It was a memorable time in my life.”

Once Mr Gouge returned to civilian life he worked firstly as a handyman at a metal sheet firm and then became an overhead crane operator.

It was only many years after Mr Gouge retired from his civilian job that he lost his sight overnight as a result of detached retinas, caused by vascular arteritis. The condition meant that he was registered blind.

He said: “I went to the out-of-hours doctor who said I had a detached retina and I was then sent to Queen Mary Hospital in Sidcup where I couldn’t even see the eye testing chart. I was very scared.”

"I went to the out-of-hours doctor who said I had a detached retina ... I was very scared." - Eric Gouge, army veteran

Mr Gouge was put in touch with Blind Veterans UK at a chance meeting for the blind he was attending.

“Blind Veterans have helped me a lot,” Eric said. “I live on my own but their support allows me to live independently in my own home and through them I get the chance to meet other veterans who are also living with severe sight loss.

“I have gone on holidays to Blind Veterans UK’s Llandudno and Brighton Centres with my late friend and met a lot of other veterans. Those holidays were always very enjoyable and I remember them fondly. I met so many great veterans and shared great stories and experiences with the other Blind Veterans UK beneficiaries.

“The charity has also provided me with a Daisy Player which reads books and a scanner which reads my mail. I don’t know what I’d do without that equipment, it is so important to me and helps me live in my own home.”

Mr Gouge added his family were so impressed that his granddaughter is running a half-marathon to raise funds for the charity.

If you are a vision impaired ex-serviceman or woman, or care for someone who is, find out more at www.noonealone.org.uk or phone 0800 389 7979.