Viewers were today moved to tears after watching the emotional moment a D-Day veteran was given a cushion with his late wife’s face on after a care worker saw he slept with it every night.
Ken Benbow, 94, and Kia Tobin were on Good Morning Britain after a video emerged of the veteran bursting into tears when he got the pillow of Ada.
The former Royal Navy serviceman, who lives at Thistleton Lodge nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, has had a picture of her with him since she died nine months ago.
Ken Benbow, 94, burst into tears when Kia Tobin (left, together) handed him the pillow of Ada (right) at Thistleton Lodge nursing home in Preston, Lancashire
Mr Benbow, who is originally from Oswestry in Shropshire, was married to Ada for 71 years and fought in the Second World War in the Pacific and the Mediterranean
Footage shows the heartwarming moment Ms Tobin gave Mr Benbow the gift, with the veteran hugging it and starting to cry.
The NHS carer wraps her arms around him as he sits in his armchair and says: ‘Aw that’s so special.’
Mr Benbow shows other care home residents the cushion and they tell him it is ‘beautiful, how beautiful’.
Ms Tobin says ‘I thought that might be a bit better than your photograph’, but Mr Benbow struggles to speak and just hugs her.
Thistleton Lodge shared the video on Saturday with the caption: ‘We know our residents are missing their loved ones at this time but let’s not forget those who sadly aren’t here with us any more.
‘Today, one of our lovely staff Kia Mariah Tobin gave Ken a pillow with his beloved wife on who we also cared for. Safe to say we all shed a tear with Ken today.’
Mr Benbow shows other care home residents (left) the cushion and they tell him it is ‘beautiful, how beautiful’, before he hugs Ms Tobin (right)
Mr Benbow, who is originally from Oswestry in Shropshire, was married to Ada for 71 years.
The couple moved to Garstang, Lancashire, after Mr Benbow returned from the Second World War.
As a Royal Navy serviceman, Mr Benbow took part in the D-Day operations as well as facing action in the Pacific during the preparations to invade Japan.
He was inspired to join the armed forces when he saw wounded troops being brought through Oswestry station when he was a 14-year-old milk delivery boy in 1940.
But he had to wait three years until he was 17 before being accepted for training at HMS Raleigh and was later assigned to the anti-aircraft and anti-submarine ship HMS Crane to help in the ship’s magazine.
His first task during the war was to help defend the American ships bringing supplies to Britain across the Atlantic.
But he was moved across to Gibraltar before covering the invasion of Sicily in the summer of 1943.
In the September he helped hunt U-boats in the Bay of Biscay off the coast of France before being redeployed back to the Atlantic for another push against the Japanese.
In 1944 Mr Benbow was one of the heroes taking part in the D-Day landings, where the HMS Crane helped escort vessels and troops to the shore.
Mr Benbow spent the last year of the war in the Pacific battling alongside Australians and Americans against the Japanese. He left the navy in 1946.
The video of Mr Benbow and Ms Tobin has gone viral online and been seen by millions of people.
They appeared on Good Morning Britain today where an emotional Mr Benbow again thanked the care home staff.
The pair appeared on Good Morning Britain today (pictured with host Piers Morgan) where an emotional Mr Benbow again thanked the care home staff
He said: ‘I’m going to cry if I keep on, because it was just so touching. It was lovely, the most precious thing anyone could ever wish for.
Ms Tobin put her arm around him and asked if he was all right, to which Mr Benbow said: ‘And I must say the staff here are excellent.’
He added of his wife: ‘She was the best little woman in the world, most loving caring wife. I smother myself with the pillow it’s so beautiful and soft and lovely.’
Ms Tobin said: ‘It was an amazing moment, so rewarding, it doesn’t cost a lot and it made him so happy and it was just amazing. All the girls were crying, everyone was so emotional about it.’