D-Day veteran reunites with WWII medals after 81 years

By Charlie Fenton A 103-year-old British D-Day veteran has been reunited with his WWII medals on Remembrance Day after an 81-year wait. kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmr@FC286@FD s@F8=2D \ s@F8 \ w2==6J D6CG65 :? E96 #@J2= pCE:==6CJ 2?5 =2?565 @? }@C>2?5J q6249 5FC:?8 ~A6C2E:@? ~G6C=@C5 2D A2CE @7 E96 D64@?5 H2G6 @7 EC@@AD]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmw6C@ w2==6J[ 7C@> $9677:6=5[ $@FE9 *@C652=D \ E96 `hbh\cd $E2C[ E96 uC2?46 2?5 v6C>2?J $E2C[ 2?5 E96 (2C |652= `hbh\cd \ 7@C 9:D 3C2G6CJ]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmqFE D25=J[ E96 D6CG:46>2?VD >652=D H6?E >:DD:?8 H96? 96 244:56?E2==J =67E E96> @? 9:D F?:7@C>[ H9:49 96 C6EFC?65 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 H2C :? `hcd]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qms@F8VD 72>:=J H@C<65 2=@?8D:56 2>2E6FC k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E2=<6C]?6HD^a_aa^`_^b`^H@>2?\7=:6D\8C2?5A2D\HHa\A=2?6\27E6C\7:?5:?8\:E\@?\@E96C\D:56\@7\H@C=5^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?:E9[ af[ E@ EC246 E96 >:DD:?8 9@?@CD]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmp?5 =2DE ?:89E W}@G `_X[ 27E6C @G6C 6:89E 564256D[ E96 8C62E\8C2?525 C646:G65 E96> :? E96 A@DE 7C@> E96 |:?:DECJ @7 s676?46 W|~sX 2?5 D2:5 96 :D Q49F7765Q E@ 7:?2==J 36 23=6 E@ AC@F5=J H62C E96> @? 9:D 496DE 282:?]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 AC@F5 G6E6C2? D2:5i Qx 2> 56=:89E65 E@ 92G6 E96> 324< 7@C >JD6=7 2?5 >J 72>:=J 27E6C 6G6CJE9:?8 x H6?E E9C@F89]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmQxE :D 6DA64:2==J 8C62E E@ 92G6 E96> :? E:>6 7@C #6>6>3C2?46 s2J]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmQ%96J >2J 36 ;FDE 2 A:646 @7 >6E2= 3FE E96 >652=D 2C6 D@>6E9:?8 E92E x 9@=5 G6CJ 4=@D6 E@ >J 962CE]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmQ%96J C6>:?5 >6 @7 2== >J 3C@E96CD :? 2C>D H9@ x H2D H:E9 H9@ 96=A65 >6 86E E9C@F89 :? E96 H2C]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmQx 2> 2=D@ E92?<7F= E@ y@D6A9 7@C EC24:?8 E96> 5@H? 2?5 6?DFC:?8 E96J 8@E 324< E@ >6 :? @?6 A:646]Qk^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qms@F8 H2D EC2:?:?8 E@ 36 2 3FE496C H96? 96 H2D 42==65 FA E@ D6CG6 :? E96 H@C=5VD >@DE 5625=J H2C 2E E96 C:A6 286 @7 a_ :? `hcb]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmw:D ;@3 H2D E@ @A6C2E6 E96 qC6? =:89E >249:?6 8F?[ H9:49 96 D2:5 :D E96 QC62D@? 96 :D =@D:?8 9:D 962C:?8Q]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmp7E6C E96 H2C s@F8 DE2J65 :? E96 7@C46D 2D 2 D@=5:6C F?E:= 96 =67E :? E96 `hd_D]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmw6 E96? H6?E @? E@ 364@>6 2 3FE496C 7@C @G6C f_ J62CD H:E9 D9@AD :? v=625=6DD 2?5 $EC253C@<6[ :? $9677:6=5[ $@FE9 *@C w2DE:?8[ :? t2DE $FDD6I[ 92D 366? EC2G6==:?8 24C@DD E96 &z 5@4F>6?E:?8 G6E6C2?DV DE@C:6D 7@C 2 AC@;64E E:E=65[ %96 {2DE @7 %96 vC62ED[ 96 :D H@C<:?8 @? 2=@?8D:56 E9C66 @E96C 7C:6?5D]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96J 9@A6 E@ 5@4F>6?E 2D >2?J G6E6C2?DV DE@C:6D 7@C E96 J@F?86C 86?6C2E:@? D@ E96J 42? =62C? 2?5 C6>6>36C E96 D24C:7:46D E96J >256]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm(96? C6D62C49:?8 23@FE s@F8 96 7@F?5 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE 9:D >652=D 2?5 2D<65 {F<6 :7 E96J 925 E96>]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmp44@C5:?8 E@ {F<6[ 9:D 8C2?525 925 =@DE 9:D >652=D 27E6C C6EFC?:?8 9:D F?:7@C> H:E9 E96> DE:== 2EE24965]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmy@D6A9 E96? 4@?E24E65 E96 |~s 2?5 96=A65 {F<6 2?5 9:D 72>:=J 7:== @FE E96 C6=6G2?E 7@C>D ?66565 3J E96 56A2CE>6?E E@ 86E E96> 324<]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 |~s DF446DD7F==J =@42E65 9:D >652=D 2?5 28C665 E@ >2:= E96> 324< E@ s@F8]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmy@D6A9 D2:5i Qx7 x 42? 96=A 2 G6E6C2? @C E96:C 72>:=J :? 2?J H2J[ 36 :E 86EE:?8 9@=5 @7 >652=D @C 7:?5:?8 @FE 7FCE96C :?7@C>2E:@?[ :E :D E96 =62DE x 42? 5@] xE :D 2? 9@?@C[ C62==J]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmQ&=E:>2E6=J[ x’> ;FDE 92AAJ E92E {F<6’D 72>:=J H:== ?@H 92G6 D@>6E9:?8 E@ A2DD 5@H? E9C@F89 E96 86?6C2E:@?D]”k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm{F<6 D2JD 9:D 72>:=J A=2?D E@ AFE E96> :? 2 5:DA=2J 2=@?8D:56 A9@E@D @7 9:> :? 9:D 2C>J F?:7@C>]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmw6 D2:5i QxE :D H@?56C7F= 7@C E96 72>:=J E92E H6 2C6 86EE:?8 9:D >652=D 324<]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmQxE >62?D ?@H H6 92G6 D@>6E9:?8 H6 42? D92C6 H:E9 72>:=J >6>36CD E@ C6>6>36C 8C2?525]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmQxE :D 2 =@G6=J <66AD2<6 H9:49 H6 H:== AC@F5=J 5:DA=2J] (6 2C6 ;FDE G6CJ 92AAJ 96 92D 366? C6F?:E65 H:E9 E96>]Qk^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm#642==:?8 >6>@C:6D 7C@> s\s2J[ s@F8 D2JD 96 C6>6>36CD D=:AA:?8 @? E96 C@A6 =2556C 2D 96 56D46?565 7C@> 9:D D9:A[ 72==:?8 “A6EC:7:65” :?E@ E96 H2E6C]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96? E96 3@5:6D @7 72==6? D@=5:6CD[ 2?5 CF??:?8 7@C 4@G6C E@ 2G@:5 E96 >249:?6 8F? 7:C6]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm(96? 96 4=@D6D 9:D 6J6D 2E ?:89E[ 96 D2:5[ 96 42? DE:== D66 E96 3=@@5 2?5 E96 3@5:6D :? E96 H2E6C]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmw6 D2JD 96 DE:== E9:?>6?E]k^Am