A former soldier who fought proudly for the Island in 1944 said “it’s wrong” he’s now being excluded from receiving a war veteran pension. Henry Turner, who has lived in Bermuda since he was five, was upset to learn Government had reinterpreted the law and withdrawn benefits from a handful of veterans.The 85-year-old, who represented the country while serving with the British Naval Airforce in the Second World War, is listed on the Cenotaph on Front Street in Hamilton.The Department of Social Insurance sent a letter to Mr Turner and other veterans on March 1, stating that those who receive pensions must meet one of three criteria to be deemed an eligible Bermudian.It says a Bermudian veteran is a person:l who was born in Bermuda and has lived here for at least seven years; orl who lived in Bermuda for no less than seven years immediately before the beginning of their war service; orl who has lived in Bermuda for no less than four years and who has one parent who lived in Bermuda for at least seven years immediately before their war service.If both the person’s parents are dead, one of them must have been resident here for seven years immediately before their death.Mr Turner, who was born in England but lived here for more than a decade before his war service and whose mother was Bermudian, said he had “no other home” and planned to appeal the decision.He told The Royal Gazette: “They told me I have to write to appeal it so it’s going to be a long drawn out fight I guess, because they didn’t want to give [the benefits] to me in the first place.”Mr Turner said there was no problem when he bought a home on the Island or served jury duty and questioned why his nationality was now under scrutiny.“When I joined the Navy the first thing the Bermudian community gave me was Bermuda flashes to put on my uniform. I was a Bermudian then, apparently.”He said his war comrades, who didn’t know his name, simply called him “Bermuda”.According to Mr Turner, if his pension is not restored he will demand his name be taken off the war memorial.He said he is largely fighting to ensure his wife is not “cash strapped” in the event he dies.“I am really upset about it because I am older than my wife and it is possible I can go before her.“This would help her to live because the benefits she would get if she had to go in a nursing home, they would pay for it.”According to Jack Lightbourn, Bermuda War Veterans Association trustee, 20 or more veterans could be affected by the new interpretation of the law by the Bermuda War Veterans Commissioners.Mr Lightbourn said Government was “within their rights of what they did” but said the meaning of the legislation should have been determined before handing out the benefits.“What they should have done was make sure they had the law changed to define exactly what they wanted and then they would have only given the benefits to people that were entitled to them under the law.“Some [people] were actually receiving the money and it suddenly stopped.“There was even talk about having the monies refunded, but the commissioners didn’t feel that it was right because if they aren’t entitled to them they shouldn’t have given it to them in the first place.“The sad part about it, of course, is all of these people were actually veterans, which means they went to war.”Speaking on behalf of Association members, he said some understood the decision but “certainly some are in a bad way”.The veterans group currently gives cash to three war veterans and 15 widows to help with living expenses.He said he was concerned a growing amount of people would be in need and said: “We now may have to consider cutting back on them if we get more people that need help than we can pay.“We are hoping we won’t get too many because there is a balance.”According to Karen Daniels, director of Social Insurance (DOSI), veterans unhappy with the change can appeal.“Significant thought and attention has been focused on ensuring that those war veterans who have served Bermuda receive their due pensions,” she said.“This issue surrounds the interpretation of relevant legislation.“Whilst the DOSI has determined that the legislation should be interpreted in a particular manner, those persons aggrieved by that decision have the right to appeal to the War Pension Commissioners and, ultimately, to the Minister of National Security.”People with questions or an objection to the decision have been asked to contact the Department of Social Insurance on 294-9242.