Tributes are being paid to a D-Day war veteran from Greater Manchester who has sadly died.
The Royal British Legion has announced the death of former Royal Marine Ken Tanner, from Chadderton in Oldham. He was 98 and passed away in hospital after a short illness.
It follows news of the death in August aged 97 of fellow D-Day veteran Jim Healy, from Middleton in Manchester.
Ken was among the first of the artillery troops to land early in the morning of June 6, 1944, at Vers-Sur-Mer, codenamed Juno Beach, before heading for the frontline. Operation Overlord, the seaborne invasion of occupied France, saw some 156,000 Allied troops landing in Normandy on June 6, 1944 - D-Day.
It is thought as many as 4,400 were killed, but the action paved the way for the Allied liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe.
Ken, who passed away on September 20, was interviewed by the Royal British Legion in 2019 and recalled the horror young soldiers faced as they landed on beaches, together with their steely determination to break German ranks.
He said: "We were at sea for more than 14 hours - it was a horrendous crossing. We eventually landed on the beach and the first thing I saw was four or five Canadians lying dead on the shoreline, with the tide lapping over their faces, and there was nothing we could do about it."
Ken served as a Sergeant in the 34th Armoured Support Regiment. As a tank gunnery assistant, his job was to provide armoured support to the Canadian 3rd Division.
Among his many medals, Ken was awarded the Legion d'Honneur, the highest French military honour, in recognition of his service.
The invasion, codenamed Operation Overlord, was launched when Allied forces began the bombardment of German defences. Thousands of vessels crossed the Channel, landing troops on the code-named beaches of Normandy under heavy fire.
Those who arrived shortly after the first wave - like Ken - described wading through bodies to reach the shoreline.
Both Ken and Jim were among 255 D-Day veterans taken back to the beaches of Normandy three years ago by the Royal British Legion on a specially chartered cruise ship. They took part in the charity's D-Day 75 commemorations in both northern France and Portsmouth.
Stuart Steel, Membership Support Officer for the Legion, said: "We were immensely proud to be able to take Ken back to the beaches of Normandy in 2019. Like all of the D-Day generation veterans, he leaves behind a remarkable legacy, and all our thoughts are with Ken's family and friends."
A funeral service will take place at Oldham Crematorium at 2pm on Monday, October 3.
His family have requested any donations are made to the Royal British Legion.
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