Diane Douglas: Would be ultimate honour to see son on stamps

Jul 13 2008

FOR Diane Douglas it would be the ultimate honour to see her son's face on Royal Mail stamps.

Lance Corporal Allan Douglas, 22, was killed by a sniper in the Maysan province of Iraq, in January 2006, while keeping watch on the roof of a police station.

Allan, of Northfield, Aberdeen, was serving with the 1st Battalion The Highlanders when he became the 99th British serviceman to be killed in Iraq.

The tragedy happened only a few weeks after he told his family the conflict in Iraq was a "waste of time".

Bakery worker Diane, 57, said: "Not a day goes by that I don't think about Allan.

"I ask myself 'what would he look like' and what would he be doing if he were alive.

"It's torture living without him and it doesn't get any easier.

"It was an honour for us as parents to be asked to have Allan's face on these stamps.

"But in order for them to be issued as real ones, we need many more names on this petition.

"We've been through hell as a family and we want to believe Allan didn't die in vain.

"These stamps would give him the recognition he truly deserves.

"They would appear on letters and postcards across the world and our son would be immortalised globally.

"Morale in the forces is so low but this project could give our soldiers the boost they desperately need."

A playpark was dedicated to Allan in Northfield last year.

His dad Walter, 58, a cleaning company supervisor, added: "These memorials can never replace Allan but they are a great honour."