Normandy veteran to pay tribute to fallen comrades

Ron Cunningham was 19 years old at the time of the D-day landings

A 99-year-old Royal Navy veteran who took part in the Normandy Landings is planning a journey to remember those who fought and died on the beaches eight decades ago.

The D-Day operation of 6 June 1944 brought together the land, air and sea forces of the allied forces in the largest amphibious invasion in military history.

Ron Cunningham, from North Shields, served as an anti-aircraft gunner on a landing vessel taking vehicles to France in the weeks following the invasion.

He is planning to travel to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire to pay his respects for his fallen comrades.

Ron Cunningham (left) first joined the Royal Navy in 1942

Mr Cunningham said he still remembers the slow crossings while "seeing sunken wrecked ships and landing craft was a shock".

He later wrote an account of his service saying they were told to wear an ID tag so they could be identified if they were killed, and if taken prisoner reminded to only give their name and number.

"It was hard work but we had an experienced skipper who got us off the beach once we'd got the lorries over," he wrote.

'Just scared teenagers'

The father-of-three, grandfather-of-nine, and great-grandfather to 10 moved up to the North East from Bournemouth in 2019.

He is a life member of the Royal Naval Association, and was awarded the Legion d'Honneur - the highest French order of merit - for his military service.

His daughter Alison Cunningham said he has always been reluctant to talk about the Normandy landings.

"They were so young, just scared teenagers who were told if they went overboard the would be left behind," she said.

We've been to those beaches a few times and he loves the respect he gets as a veteran but I think he feels it's more for those that did not come back than for himself," she added.

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