Heroes Reserve Cask #001 - Richard Day

At Distinct Distillers, we don’t just want to produce spirits — we want to preserve stories.

We’re fortunate to operate from one of Britain’s most remarkable distillery sites: a former WWII underground fuel depot, originally built to support the RAF and Allied forces through a vast, secret pipeline than ran underneath the country and English Channel. Today, we’re working hard to protect that history and to use the site as a way to remember some of the incredible stories of courage and resilience from those who served.

Last year, we had the privilege of welcoming the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans along with eleven surviving D-Day and WWII veterans to the distillery. But this wasn’t just about a tour. We wanted the visit to mark something more meaningful.

From Visitors to Legacy

In November 2024, 11 extraordinary men and women visited Distinct  along with the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans. All were veterans of the Second World War, and each carried memories that shaped not just their lives, but ours too.

To honour each of these individuals, we laid down 11 casks in their name and they are known as our Heroes Reserve Casks.

Our plan is to carefully mature these casks and when they are ready for release, each bottle will bear the veteran’s name, signature, and story. A living legacy for their families, and a way to make sure their contribution is never forgotten.

And it starts with Heroes Reserve Cask #001: Richard Day.

Introducing Richard Day

Name: Richard Day
Year Served: 1943–1947
Regiment: Royal Welch Fusiliers, 2nd Infantry
Theatre of War: Burma (Far East campaign)

Richard served with the Royal Welch Fusiliers, 2nd Infantry, and was deployed to Burma during the Far East campaign. He fought in the Battle of Kohima — one of the most significant and challenging engagements of the war in that region. The battle, often referred to as the “Stalingrad of the East,” marked a turning point in halting the Japanese advance into India.

Conditions were extremely difficult: heavy rain, intense heat, and prolonged fighting in mountainous terrain. Despite this, Richard served until the end of the campaign and returned home on Boxing Day, 1947, after four years overseas.

When Richard visited the distillery, he wore the original bush hat he was issued at Ranchi Training Camp in 1943. 

In honour of his service, we’ve laid down Heroes Reserve Cask #001. His name, signature and story will appear on the bottles once the cask is ready, and a number of them will be given to his family as a way to preserve his story for future generations.

We were very saddened to hear that Richard passed away in July only weeks before VJ Day at the age of 98 years old. Our thoughts go out to his family and we feel very privileged to have met him.

Why We Created the Heroes Reserve

We’re in a unique position at Distinct — not just because of our rum, but because of where we make it.

Our distillery sits within a WWII-era underground fuel depot, constructed by the Ministry of Defence in 1938 to support RAF operations. It was part of a vast and largely secret wartime infrastructure that helped win the war without ever appearing on a battlefield.

When we started restoring the site, we made a commitment: to preserve, not just repurpose. And that commitment deepened when we began working with The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans which allowed us to meet veterans like Richard.

What Makes These Casks Different

Each Heroes Reserve Cask is a one-of-a-kind barrel laid down with the sole purpose of telling one veteran’s story. They’ll be matured in our underground vault — the very same tunnels built to support the war they fought in.

Once the spirit is ready, the cask will be bottled, and each family will receive a set of bottles bearing:

• The veteran’s signature
• Their regiment and service details
• A short summary of their story
• A unique Heroes Reserve label, crafted just for them

With only around 250 bottles per casks, these will be legacy bottles and hopefully for their families a small keepsake.

We’ve always seen cask ownership as more than just a financial investment. It’s a way to be part of a process that takes time and care.

With the Heroes Reserve casks, that idea goes one step further. These casks aren’t just about ageing spirit — they’re about preserving individual stories. When they’re eventually bottled, they’ll carry the names and signatures of the veterans they honour, creating something lasting for their families to keep and share.

Looking Ahead

Each of the ten veterans we hosted in 2024 will be honoured with their own Heroes Reserve cask. Over time, we’ll be sharing more of their stories, more of their journeys, and how each family plans to preserve and celebrate them.

Our hope is that this grows — not just in casks, but in awareness.

Because these men and women gave everything. And in a world that often moves fast and forgets easily, we believe they deserve to be remembered in a way that’s tangible, thoughtful, and enduring.

A Note to Our Readers

If you’re part of a family with a veteran, or if you know someone whose service story deserves to be told, we’d love to hear from you.

To learn more about our Heroes Reserve programme, or to stay updated as these casks mature, email us at info@distinctdistillers.co.uk

#LestWeForget #HeroesReserve #WWIIVeterans #DistinctDistillers #LegacyInEveryDrop