Benbow is a 94-year-old former Royal Army soldier who lives at Thistleton Lodge nursing home, according to the Daily Mail.
Tobin, who works for the NHS as a carer in a nursing home, found the perfect gift after noticing Benbow was attached to a photo of his wife, who he has reportedly cuddled with daily since her death. Before his death, the newspaper reported that the couple had been married for more than seven decades.
The moving video quickly led to an appearance on Good Morning Britain. After Tobin hands Benbow a surprise gift in the short clip, he almost immediately breaks into tears as he hugs the pillow and kisses his wife’s face.
According to Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan, the video racked up more than 4 million views in a single day. Thanks to media attention in the days and weeks following the video’s widespread success, Benbow’s incredible life as a soldier in the Royal Navy also surfaced.
The Daily Mail, for example, reported that Benbow was inspired to join the armed forces when he was just 14 after being shocked by the sight of injured soldiers at Oswestry station. This led to his enlistment three years later and missions not only in the Pacific theater, but also in the European theater as part of the historic D-Day conquest.
His military career, however, began at HMS Raleigh – and later – on HMS Crane, an anti-aircraft and anti-submarine vessel, according to the Daily Mail. One of his first duties as a soldier was to help defend American ships carrying supplies to Britain across the Atlantic.
It was only after his erotic life in the Navy, which he left in 1946, that he married Ada, his late dear wife of 71 years. And now, with Tobin’s help, Benbow will receive a physical reminder of the love of his life that can stay close for years to come.
