The proud grandson of Captain Sir Tom Moore has spoken of the ‘lovely memories’ of bike rides he shared with the man who would go on to inspire a nation, as he paid a touching tribute to his ‘go-getting’ grandfather.
Tom Teixeira said the war veteran ‘wouldn’t slow down for anyone’, including his own grandson, as he lovingly recounted memories of his hero grandfather.
He also revealed how the now-British icon ‘never expected anything’ when he set out on his walking challenge – which would touch the nation’s heart and raise £33million for NHS charities.
But he said the ‘typical Yorkshireman’, who passed away with coronavirus in Bedford Hospital on Tuesday, would not want a ‘lavish’ funeral, adding ‘he would want something nice and small’.
Speaking about his grandfather to James O’Brien on radio station LBC: ‘He is what you see on TV, he’s just a go-getter.
Tom Teixeira (pictured here with grandfather Captain Tom and brother Max) has spoken of the ‘lovely memories’ of bike rides he shared with his grandfather
Tom Teixeira, who posted an emotional tribute on Instagram (pictured), said the war veteran ‘wouldn’t slow down for anyone’, including his own grandson, as he lovingly recounted memories of his hero grandfather
Captain Sir Tom Moore (pictured in April) became a national treasure during the first coronavirus lockdown after he raised more than £32 million for the NHS by walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday
‘He doesn’t slow down for anyone, even at 100-years-old with a Zimmer-frame, walking laps of the garden.
‘He just always taught me. I remember growing up with him we would go ride bikes along a train track in Gravesend, he wouldn’t slow down for me, he would just carry on going and would say “come-on Thomas”.
Mr Teixeira, who is one of Captain Tom’s four grandchildren, alongside brother Max, and cousins Benjamin and Georgia Ingram-Moore, also revealed how his grandfather’s favourite moment during his meteoric rise to fame was meeting the Queen.
He said: ‘I know how much it meant to him meeting the Queen. It was a shame we couldn’t be there, but I just know how much joy that would have brought to him.
‘He’s such a patriot and that was amazing to see.’
However, Mr Teixeira said Captain Tom ‘didn’t think too much into’ his rise to fame at the age of 99, saying that ‘he just got on with it’.
And he said with his ‘it is what it is’ attitude, Captain Tom would most likely want a ‘quiet’ funeral.
When asked by Mr O’Brien about plans to celebrate the veteran’s life, Mr Teixeira said: ‘Knowing him he would want something nice and small, quiet, he wouldn’t want anything too lavish.’
Tom Teixeira revealed how Captain Tom ‘never expected anything’ when he set out on the walking challenge which would touch touch the hearts of millions and raise £33million for NHS charities
Mr Teixeira (pictured speaking to LBC’s James O’Brien), said the war veteran would likely want a ‘small and quiet’ funeral
His touching tributes came as Captain Sir Tom Moore’s family revealed the war veteran was diagnosed with Covid after being treated in hospital for pneumonia.
He had been previously regularly screened for Covid-19, due to his age making him more vulnerable to the disease.
He was clear of coronavirus on December 9 before he flew away to Barbados – a trip paid for by British Airways as a treat for his achievements. And he was tested again when he arrived home on January 6.
After returning to the UK he was admitted to Bedford Hospital on January 12 where he was diagnosed with pneumonia.
He was unable to get a vaccine jab because of the treatment.
But by the time he was discharged from the hospital on January 22 tests showed he had now caught the disease.
At his home in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, he was cared for by family and medics until he had to be taken back to hospital on January 31 by ambulance when he started having breathing difficulties.
Yesterday his devastated daughters Hannah Ingram-Moore and Lucy Teixeira announced he had passed away peacefully.
The pair hailed the last year of Captain Tom’s life as ‘nothing short of remarkable’, and said: ‘He was rejuvenated and experienced things he’d only ever dreamed of.’
A statement from Buckingham Palace led tributes on Tuesday afternoon and said: ‘The Queen is sending a private message of condolence to the family of Captain Sir Tom Moore.
‘Her Majesty very much enjoyed meeting Captain Sir Tom and his family at Windsor last year. Her thoughts and those of the Royal Family are with them, recognising the inspiration he provided for the whole nation and others across the world.’
A tribute to Captain Tom was emblazoned on the screens at Piccadilly Circus, while the London Eye, Wembley Stadium, and Blackpool Tower were all lit up in his honour.
Downing Street lowered its flags to half-mast as Boris Johnson hailed the national hero as a ‘beacon of hope in the world’.
And in a mark of Captain Tom’s international acclaim, Joe Biden’s White House posted a tweet paying tribute to the man ‘who inspired millions through his life and his actions.’
The Prime Minister said: ‘Captain Sir Tom Moore was a hero in the truest sense of the word. In the dark days of the Second World War he fought for freedom and in the face of this country’s deepest post war crisis he united us all, he cheered us all up, and he embodied the triumph of the human spirit.
Captain Tom (pictured front) along with his grandchildren Benji (left), Georgia (middle left), his daughter Hannah (middle right) and her husband Colin Ingram (right) as they enjoyed the Barbados sunshine
The last picture: This was the final picture of Captain Tom, released by his family on January 18 with his loved ones around him
A tribute to Captain Tom tonight at London’s Piccadilly Circus, with a message saying ‘the nation salutes you’
A member of the public leaves a candle outside the home of Captain Sir Tom Moore after his death was announced tonight
Wembley Stadium tweeted: ‘Tonight, Wembley Stadium joins the nation in remembering and celebrating the life and achievements of @captaintommoore’
‘It is quite astonishing that at the age of 100 he raised more than £32million for the NHS, and so gave countless others their own chance to thank the extraordinary men and women who have protected us through the pandemic.
‘He became not just a national inspiration but a beacon of hope for the world. Our thoughts are with his daughter Hannah and all his family.’
Captain Tom’s daughters had announced the sad news that their father had passed away just after 4pm on Tuesday afternoon.
They said: ‘It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our dear father, Captain Sir Tom Moore.
‘We are so grateful that we were with him during the last hours of his life; Hannah, Benjie and Georgia by his bedside and Lucy on FaceTime. We spent hours chatting to him, reminiscing about our childhood and our wonderful mother. We shared laughter and tears together.
‘The last year of our father’s life was nothing short of remarkable. He was rejuvenated and experienced things he’d only ever dreamed of.
‘Whilst he’d been in so many hearts for just a short time, he was an incredible father and grandfather, and he will stay alive in our hearts forever.
‘The care our father received from the NHS and carers over the last few weeks and years of his life has been extraordinary. They have been unfalteringly professional, kind and compassionate and have given us many more years with him than we ever would have imagined.
‘Over the past few days our father spoke a great deal about the last 12 months and how proud he felt at being able to leave behind the growing legacy of his Foundation.
‘We politely ask for privacy at this time so we can grieve quietly as a family and remember the wonderful 100 years our father had. Thank you.’
Originally from Keighley, West Yorkshire, Captain Tom had been on a dream holiday to Barbados on December 11 after British Airways offered him free flights to the Caribbean.
He had not been seen in public since the pre-Christmas break, but tweeted as he departed: ‘The support I have been shown in 2020 has given me renewed energy and today I get to tick something off my bucket list.’
He first shot to international prominence in the teeth of the first wave of the pandemic last year, when on April 6, the 99-year-old set off to walk 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday.
Captain Tom aimed to raise £1,000 for the NHS.
But after capturing the nation’s hearts the money donated to his Just Giving page grew exponentially and by his 100th birthday on April 30, the sum had surged to almost £33million.
Flowers and candles were laid outside his home in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, yesterday,
From Yorkshire to India: Colonel Tom Moore’s career in the military
Colonel Tom pictured during the Second World War. Boris Johnson described him as a national treasure during the Covid-19 crisis after raising almost £33million for the NHS
Captain Tom Moore was conscripted into the British Army in June 1940 when he was 20, alongside all men aged 20 to 35.
He began his military career in Otley, West Yorkshire, where he joined the 8th Battalion, the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment under Lieutenant Lord George Saville.
The Regiment was sent to train in Wadebridge, Cornwall where they were tasked with coastal defence amid a predicted German invasion.
A young Captain Moore was soon promoted to Corporal and sent to the officer cadet training unit in Droitwich Spa. Here, he celebrated his 21st birthday after he passed as a Second Lieutenant.
In August 1941, he was sent to the DWR headquarters in Halifax where he joined the 9th Battalion at Winchcombe.
The infantry battalion then converted to an armoured regiment 146th Royal Armoured Corp, though the majority of the soldiers could not drive.
Captain Moore is pictured front centre during his days in the Army. He joined the Armed Forces in 1940 when he was aged 20
In October, the unit was posted to Bombay, now Mumbai, in India. The journey took six weeks by sea, with a four-day delay in Freetown, Sierra Leone and a four-day stop in Cape Town.
Captain Moore then took a train from Bombay to Poona, before arriving at Kirkee, a town now known as Khadki.
The 9th DWR formed the 50th Indian Tank Brigade under the command of Brigadier Schreiber.
Captain Moore was then asked by the Brigadier to start a motorcycling course for the Brigade due to his expertise for the sport.
The Brigade was then ordered to move to Calcutta – the road journey was in a monsoon and took three weeks.
His Battalion was stationed in the Lohardaga district near Ranchi. They then took part in two exercises in the Arakan before moving further east and south to Rangoon.
Captain Moore was then sent on a course at the approved vehicle depot in Bovington, England. He remained here as an instructor until it was closed.