SUPPORT from serving members of the armed forces was there for The Baton from the beginning.

SUPPORT from serving members of the armed forces was there for The Baton from the beginning.

As soon as Alan Rowe MBE imparted his idea to those in the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines, he was overwhelmed by support.

"Help and encouragement were there straight away with genuine and constructive enthusiasm," he said.

Mr Rowe settled for a stretcher handle for the Baton "because it is neutral and non-political".

"This is not just any stretcher," he said. "This one has been there for friend and enemy.

"My friends in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines were especially helpful; they were instrumental in acquiring the stretcher and getting it back to the UK."

Honiton should be proud to be the home of The Baton, according to the charity's founder Alan Rowe MBE.

"Honiton is a special market town, with a great heart, and I am proud to say that everything has been achieved by truly local help," he told the Herald.

"In fact, the only cost incurred so far has been for fuel to pick things up - the rest has been donated with incredible spirit.