Plea For Strangers To Attend D-Day Veteran's Funeral

Picture: SWNS

Strangers have been asked to turn up to the funeral of a war veteran who lost an eye in the D-Day invasion - but died without any family.

John Craig, 93, survived the Arctic convoys and defied Hitler's submarines and bombers to ferry food to the Soviet Union.

Mr Craig died last month, but following his wife Joyce's death in 2014, an appeal has been launched by the Royal Naval Association to give him the send-off he deserves.

Keith Ridley, national chairman of the Royal Naval Association, said:

"It's terribly sad that after all he went through on the Arctic convoys and on D-Day, there would be no one at his funeral, so we have been asking people to attend.

"As well as ourselves, we have heard from the Royal British Legion, who are asking their members to go along."

The Royal Navy veteran, of Saffron Walden, Essex, also fought in the D-Day landings.

On June 6, 1944, he was aboard a minesweeper near the Normandy beaches and was pitched into the water after it was blown up.

The sole survivor of the attack, he was washed ashore, and then was rescued by American troops.

Repatriated to Britain, he woke up in a hospital in Plymouth 12 days later, to discover he had lost an eye.

Among those going to Mr Craig's funeral will be Albert 'Harry' Eddy, a fellow D-Day veteran who had his 94th birthday a couple of days ago.

Mr Eddy said: "I know something of what he went through, as I was a Royal Navy man on a landing craft delivering tanks to the beaches. We came under fire and we were hit, but thankfully I wasn't hurt.

"Our sister ship nearby got a direct hit, however, and caught fire, but we somehow managed to tow it back to England.

"I didn't know John, but I'm going along because it wouldn't be right for no one to be there at his funeral.

"It would be very sad indeed if there wasn't a decent turnout."

Mr Craig's funeral will take place at Cambridge Crematorium East Chapel at 2.30pm tomorrow (May 10).