Twelve British WWII veterans were presented with France’s highest distinction, the Légion d’Honneur, during a ceremony at the French Ambassador’s Residence in Kensington, London. The Legion d’Honneur was presented to the veterans by Ambassador Sylvie Bermann and Rear Admiral Patrick Chevallereau, the French Embassy’s Defence Attaché.
Arthur Bowen, 90, from Hertfordshire, Albert De’ath, 90, from Cambridgeshire, Stanley Filby, 89, from London, Neville Foote, 95, from Lancashire, Brian Neill, 92, from London, Norman Powell, 90, from Bedfordshire, William Ralph, 92, from Essex and Henry Rawlins, 90, from London were honoured for their role in securing France’s liberation during the Second World War, many of them took in the D-Day Landings in June 1944.
“France wants to thank these veterans for their tremendous service to our country in the Second World War. They were ready to risk their lives over 70 years ago, and to them we owe the freedom that we enjoy today.”, added Ambassador Bermann. “They are living witnesses to a history they wrote on our soil, a history which shaped their identity, our identity and those of Britain and France.”
British Veterans awarded the Legion d’Honneur on Dec. 9, 2015. (Credits: French Embassy)
Click here to see images from the British Army during the Normandy Campaign.
British Army British Veterans D-Day Legion d’Honneur Normandy
