Page 6 - Hunstanton Town & Around - December 2016
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6 Hunstanton Town & Around December 2016                              Tel: 01485 533422 email: editor@townandaround.net

       Legion d’Honneur presented to Harry Brown













































          Harry with his family from left son Peter Brown, granddaughters Kerry and Keelie Brown and Daughter-in-law Gill Brown

           urrounded by family and friends war veteran Harry Brown was
           presented  with  the  Legion  d’Honneur  medal  by  Sir  Henry
      SBellingham MP on Tuesday 8th November at Hunstanton Day
       Centre.
         Harry served from April 1942 in the Navy during the war years
       aboard Motor Torpedo Boats (MTB’s) used mainly for mine sweeping,
       enemy coastal and U Boat attacks and as escorts for larger vessels.
         Aboard HMS Aggressive and sailing from Falmouth under orders
       dated 5th June 1944, the MTB was acting as a minesweeper and escort
       to a troopship full of USA servicemen and equipment for the D-Day
       landings. Harry said: “There were at least two Divisions of American
       troops waiting to go, one was the 29th Infantry.
         “We sailed for France and moored off Omaha, the most terrible of
       the Beachheads that suffered the most American casualties; it’s too
       awful to remember.”
         Harry and his crew’s job was to remove the casualties from the
       water and get them to the hospital ships further back. Harry described
       the sea as being ‘red with blood’. Their work off Omaha lasted about a
       week.
         1945  found  him  at  the  surrender  of  the  German  Troops  in  the
       Channel Islands and Harry completed his service in May 1946.
         Presenting the medal Sir Henry Bellingham said: “This is a very
       proud moment; if it wasn’t for you and your generation we wouldn’t be
       here today.
         “Your fighting for our freedom means we have a free country where
       our dreams and aspiration can become a reality.
         “At Omaha Beach Harry saved lives and helped win the war, and it
       is an honour for me to present him with this beautiful medal today.”
         In a letter from the French Embassy, Sylvie Bermann wrote: “The
       President of the Republic has appointed you the rank of Chevalier in  Harry and Sir Henry
       the Ordre national de la Legion d’honneur. As we contemplate this
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