Talgarth war veteran, 90, to receive Legion d'honneur

A 90-year-old war veteran is to be honoured with France's highest military honour for his service to the country during the D-Day landings.

Bill Speake, from Talgarth, Powys, will receive the rank of chevalier in the Legion d'honneur at a ceremony at the Pierhead building in Cardiff on Thursday.

He is one of 12 people being honoured with the medal.

The former prisoner of war said he was "humbled".

At commemorations to mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day, French President Francois Hollande pledged to honour British veterans who served in the country during the war.

Mr Speake, who served with the South Wales Borderers Army Regiment, was 18 when he arrived on the beaches of Normandy in 1944.

"I was one of those who landed on the very first day," said the father-of-four and grandfather-of-eight.

"I lost friends and colleagues... war is a frightening experience and we were so young, but you have to get over it."

When the war ended, Mr Speake spent four years in military hospitals after being diagnosed with tuberculosis. He was undernourished, weighing only 10st (64kg), despite being 6ft (1.8m) tall.

He was given a clean bill of health in 1950 and trained as a nurse, working in the Talgarth area.