A blind former army captain is set to march to the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday with a charity for vision impaired ex-service men and women.

Kerry Levins, 43 from West Drayton, will take part in the Remembrance Day commemorations on Sunday, November 9, with Blind Veterans UK, which supported him after he was registered blind.

"Remembrance is not just about remembering the fallen – it is also about sparing a thought for those who are still serving, their families and loved ones and about those whose service has ended, but who are still battling every day," he said.

"I will be thinking of those I had the privilege to serve with, some of whom are no longer with us."

A career in the military was in the blood for Mr Levins, who followed his brother, father and grandfather into the army after leaving school.

He went to The Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst in 1990 and as a newly commissioned officer in the Royal Corps of Signals, served with the Gurkhas as part of the Queens’ Gurkha Signals in Nepal and Hong Kong.

"Working with the Gurkhas was very enlightening," he said. "They are magnificent people and are intensely loyal once you had earned their trust, they stuck with you no matter what.

"Every day in Hong Kong was different, from training exercises in jungle terrain to working with the Royal Navy and Hong Kong Police on anti-smuggling operations."

At the end of his time in the army, the officer started to suffer from Ischaemic Retinal Vasculitis, a type of thrombosis of the blood vessels in the eye.

Mr Levins said: "I woke up one day with a gammy eye so went to see the medical officer. He didn’t know what was wrong with me, so I was sent straight to hospital."

He retired as a captain from the army in 1999, but the vasculitis gradually spread to the point where he was registered blind in 2006. 

The cause was later determined to be 'service attributable'.

"Adjusting was a difficult time and I spent a while feeling rather sorry for myself, not quite sure what to do," Mr Levins said.

"Eventually, I decided to get a guide dog and to contact Blind Veterans UK for support.

"Meeting other ex-service personnel with sight loss has been a huge help - the charity’s support has been life-changing."