VETERAN Harold Robinson already has a medal collection that is testament to his death-defying service during the Second World War.

Now the 95-year-old, from Otley, has added another after being made a Chevalier (Knight) in the National Order of the Legion of Honour – the highest decoration in France.

The new medal, which joins honours from Russia, Malta and the UK, is in recognition of the former Royal Marine's role during the D-Day Landings on June 6, 1944.

The day of the Normandy Landings, the start of a turning point in the war that liberated France and saw the Nazis driven back, also happened to be Mr Robinson's birthday.

He marked the occasion on board the HMS Ramillies battleship, which fired the very first salvo of the sea invasion.

He said: "We had just over two hours before the troops landed, and during that time we had to destroy as many German gun positions as we could, otherwise these gun batteries would have have destroyed our troops on the beaches.

"Once we opened fire the Germans, of course, fired back and did everything to try to stop us.

"A U-boat came out of Le Havre and tried to torpedo us but they missed, and instead blew up one of our destroyer escorts. We were very fortunate.

"We went back to Portsmouth that night, re-armed and the following morning went back to the beachhead where we were supporting the troops.

"When the army wanted a German strong-point or tank knocked out they gave us the location and we fired on them. We did that for about ten days, until they could get their own artillery on shore."

Although the war ended 70 years ago, Mr Robinson isn't surprised it has taken so long to receive his French medal.

His Arctic Star from Russia didn't come until 2013, and he joked: "It's just typical of governments!"

The Ramillies followed its Normandy operations by heading to the South of France to support further landings.

Mr Robinson was sent to India in 1945 for jungle training in preparation of fighting Japanese forces in Malaysia .

Before that could happen, however, the US dropped the atomic bombs on Japan, effectively ending the war.

Mr Robinson's other wartime exploits included serving in the notoriously dangerous Arctic Convoys, to get vital supplies to the Soviet Union, and on the Malta Convoys.

Serving on HMS Argus near Malta in 1941 when his own ship was zig-zagging to avoid torpedoes, he saw the HMS Ark Royal hit – and eventually sink.

He said: "I'm 95 and I've been very lucky – to have had six years in the Marines during the war, with all the operations we had, and to survive."

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