Chippenham MP backs D-Day hero's French medal hope

The Legion d'Honneur medal is France's highest honour

A Wiltshire politician who has been lobbying for D-Day veterans to receive the French war medal, Legion d'Honneur, has said the wait is almost over.

Veteran, Frank Diffell, 91, from Shaw, applied in January but no progress was being made on his application.

Michelle Donelan said: "The timescales have been reduced to three to four weeks, so I'm confident."

The Ministry of Defence added that new measures were now in place to speed up the process.

'Worst gunfire'

French President Francois Hollande promised the medal to any servicemen involved in D-Day, during last year's 70th anniversary of the landings.

Mr Diffell ferried American troops to Omaha beach on 6 June 1944 in a landing craft under heavy gunfire.

He said: "I was assuming it would come in time but it does seem an unnecessary wait.

"I've always had the feeling that because the British landing craft took part on Omaha beach it didn't seem as though there was a great deal of publicity."

The Americans led the landings at Omaha beach, where the success of the Allied invasion was most in doubt.

Mr Diffell's grandson, David Bolt, said: "He was there on the first day of D-Day landing on Omaha beach.

"It had some of the worst gunfire and unfortunately so many lost their lives there, so it was under fire that he landed his troops.

"Then, days afterwards he was following up landing supplies as well, again under attack."

The Chippenham MP added that a joint administration process was being set up between the UK government and the French authorities after some 3,300 applications were made for the commendation.