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WWII veteran, 101, insists he would still fight for Britain but warns of ‘friction’ at home
Apr 23, 2026
101-year-old World War Two veteran Mervyn Kersh has insisted he would still fight for Britain today, but warned of “friction” within the country. GB News Deputy News Editor Dimitris Kouimtsidis sat down with the centenarian on St George’s Day to discuss patriotism and the current state of the nation.
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Hi Martin, we're here with Mr Mervyn Kirsch, a World War II veteran, a decorated World War II veteran
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who has served this country bravely during his time in Normandy, storming the beaches of Normandy
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and yesterday, well last week, he was recognised by King Charles with the British Empire Medal Award
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First of all, Mr Kirsch, how did you feel? How was all of that for you? Must have been a great honour
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It was a great honour. I wasn't invested by King Charles, by his older tenant, which I've heard of
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But I went to the Tower of London and I didn't know quite what condition I'd come back in
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I got this anyway. I'm very proud. Thank you. Tell us a little bit about how you feel about the award and serving during
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World War II. What was that like? Well, it's something that needed to be done. In fact, it could have been better if it hadn't
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been done and been for instance. So speaking of something that would be better if it hadn't been done��
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It had needed to be done, I should say. to be done but nowadays we see with the conflict in iran between the u.s and iran um would you have
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a message for for the political leaders as to how to either avoid what needs to be done
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i think they need to be done to make sure you can't do or other people can't do
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other countries can do what iran been doing for years attacking other countries and hoping to get away with it doing it with serratitously with other groups the Hamas the people in Lebanon and the Arab states as well
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And what would you have our Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, do to, as you said, stop
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Iran and other militant groups from continuing their activities. Be strong enough to make sure that no one dare attack us
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Be strong enough. Regarding you yourself are a Jewish man. You were there in World War II during the liberation of Birkin, the concentration camp
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How do you feel about the rise of anti-Semitism that we see in Britain nowadays and some of
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the incidents we've seen particularly in recent weeks and particularly here nearby to
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you in North London with some of the anti-Semitism attacks and the arson attacks
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Well, I think the main difference is this is just allowed by the government, whereas
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in Germany and Austria before the war, they sponsored it. It started with the government
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sponsored it, and stirred it up, and became public duty. Here they're just ignoring it
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in 10 years doesn't exist, but the result is the same amongst the public
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Would you have a message for the politicians in this country to make sure that the same mistakes aren't repeated
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like they were in Germany and Austria? Study history, recent history, 100 years
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But if you spend time or permit hatred of one person one people and group of people against another you bound to have friction you bound to have compaction
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There are so many stupid people who will believe it. It is unbelievable
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in my the 10s and before I was 20 before I was in the army all over wherever he walked in London
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anyway not spotted because the most is fascist or PJ in an oval parish judah the same thing
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although ways around the street corner and then beat somebody out and things are very clever
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and if you were again as you said in your twenties and you looked around
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Britain nowadays would you fight for Britain would you go to war to
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get rid of those inside the country first the children first we had a group I was a bit young
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then but this is after the war the 43 group which were 43 youngsters who
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who were post-war youngsters, who had joined up together to fight anti-Semitism
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And they just beat them up and made sure they didn't do it again
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And after dealing with the internal problems and dealing with the anti-Semitism
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would you think you would then go and fight abroad to defend Britain
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knowing Britain as it is today? It's a hard question, first of all, I don't think I'd be very much used anymore
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I sure you be a talented young man No but if you a young man A year or a year younger Yes I think so
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I still think this country is one of the best, if not the best, most consistent anyway
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So do you think Britain is a country worth fighting for? I think it still is, but it's not the country
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I'm fighting for our own lives. everyone here is the word country is a collective
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sounds nice, the crown or the king it's collected but it's the people, the whole group of people
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that are having millions around now that's 17, 18 million in the country
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and obviously today we're celebrating St George's Day what does St George's Day mean to you
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Well that symbolises it's pretty old I don't know which King George it was
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it was a long time ago but it is a symbol of
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British unity and it brings people together which it should do Thank you Perfect
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OK, thank you very, very much to both of you. That was absolutely superb
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Demetrius, an absolute legend there. Mervyn Kirsch, Alf, hey, and the cats joined in
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at the last moment there to steal the show from a genuine legend
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Mervyn Kirsch, the very, very best of British to you, the finest generation that ever lived
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Thank you for what you did for our country. Thank you for liberating us from Nazism
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and thank you for continuing to fight against anti-Semitism. and Mervyn Kirsch, you're a legend. Thank you very, very much indeed
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