WIREDGOV

British D-Day veterans to receive top French Honour

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE News Release (120/2009) issued by COI News Distribution Service on 5 June 2009

Ten British World War Two veterans are to be honoured by the French government today for their role in liberating France in 1944.

The nine men and one woman, who all took part in the D-Day landings, will receive the Legion d'Honneur in ceremonies this weekend, marking the 65th anniversary of D-Day.

The Legion d'Honneur is the highest decoration in France, awarded for excellent military conduct. Among those who will receive the honour today are several men who were among the first to land on the Normandy beaches on the morning of June 6th 1944 and a female nurse who attended to the many wounded on Gold beach.

This afternoon, nine of the veterans will become Knights of the Legion d'Honneur when they are presented with their Chevalier medals by the French Minister of State for Defence and Veterans, Jean-Marie Bockel.

Peter Hodge, Honorary General Secretary of the Normandy Veterans Association, said:

"We are extremely delighted that the French authorities have honoured these brave men and women. Sixty-five years ago, they risked their lives in one of the biggest military operations ever undertaken. Since then, they have all worked tirelessly with the Normandy Veterans Association to ensure that the events of June 6th 1944 are never forgotten. "

Veterans Minister Kevan Jones, who will also be at the ceremony at Les Invalides in Paris, said:

"We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the men and women of the Armed Forces who, sixty-five years ago, risked their lives for freedom. I am immensely proud that these British veterans are today being decorated with such an honour, in recognition of their great courage and bravery."

Another Veteran, who landed on Juno beach on D-Day, will receive the higher rank of Officer of the Legion d'Honneur from President Sarkozy at a ceremony at Colleville-sur-Mer tomorrow.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. Details of the veterans receiving awards are contained in Annex A.
For more information, contact Peter Hodge, Honorary General Secretary of the Normandy Veterans Association - 07831 357424.

2. Details of the ceremony at the Invalides are available from Jean-Yves Zoyo at the British Embassy in Paris on +33 (0) 1 4451 3318 / 33 67568 1398.

ANNEX A

The following D-Day veterans will become Knights of the Legion d'Honneur in a ceremony in Paris this afternoon.

NAME
DATE OF BIRTH
FROM
SERVICE

George Robert Batts
21/08/1925
Maidstone, Kent
Joined the Corps of Royal Engineers in 1943. Landed on Gold Beach on
D-Day.

Ernest Patrick Brewer
24/02/1925
Hertfordshire
Joined the Royal Horse Artillery (7th Division) in 1943. Landed on Gold
Beach on D-Day, liberated Bayeux, went onward though Belgium, Holland to
Berlin.

Mrs Vera Hay
14/05/1922
Cumbria
Joined the Queen's Alexandra Nursing Corps in 1943. Landed on Gold Beach
and attended to wounded at 'Chateaux Busieux' in Bayeux.

Oliver Fox
June 1919
Derby
Joined the RAF in 1942. Landed on Sword Beach on D-Day+3.

Albert Holmshaw
22/07/1924
Nottinghamshire
Joined the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in 1943. Embarked
on a Landing Ship Tank and landed on Sword Beach.

William Gordon Hornsby
27/05/1924
Newcastle
Joined Royal Army Service Corps in 1942. Landed on Gold Beach on D-Day
and took part in the liberation of Bayeux.

Joseph Randle Oliver
08/06/1925
Sunderland
Joined RAF in 1943. Landed at Juno Beach with Canadian forces.

Leslie Stocking
02/10/1925
Shrewsbury
Joined the Royal Engineers in 1942. He landed on Gold Beach on D-Day and
helped to clear mines in France, Holland and Germany.

The following D-Day veteran will become an Officer of the Legion d'Honneur at a ceremony at Colleville-sur-Mer tomorrow.

Jack Sidney Woods
23/03/1924
Norfolk
Joined the 9th Battalion of the Royal Tank Regiment 1943. Landed on Juno
Beach with Canadian forces and immediately engaged in action. Went on to
help capture 5 bridges over the River Seine.