Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Private Goldthorpe was serving with his battalion in Northern Ireland during their 'Op Banner' tour (Northern Ireland peace keeping operations). He suddenly became unwell and was evacuated to the Neurological Unit (Ward 2) at Queen Elizabeth Military Hospital, Woolwich (now closed). There he was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour and, despite undergoing chemo and radio therapy, he succumbed to his illness.

Colonel P Gunter (Officer Commanding Ward 2 and Captain at this time; now retired) has said of Declan that he 'was brave and, despite knowing his likely prognosis, always positive. Those of us working on Ward 2 developed at close and special bond with him and were devastated when, on the 28th December, he slipped from our grasp. I felt keenly for his mother, who spent many hours by his bedside. All of the military nursing staff attended his funeral. He was interred with full military honours, including a draped coffin and a fired volley'.

Kindly submitted by P. Gunter (Colonel Retd), in 2018