Navy
70 Years Later: Royal Marine Veteran Awarded Legion D'honneur
More than seven decades after he stormed Hitler’s vaunted Atlantic Wall on D-Day former Royal Marine Cpl Wilfred ‘Bill’ Bryant received the thanks of the French people in the form of the Chevalier in the Ordre national de le Legion d’honneur.
It fell to the head of the Corps, Commandant General Royal Marines Maj Gen Martin Smith, to present the award to the landing craft coxswain at Lympstone where the Normandy veteran still volunteers.
In a letter accompanying the medal – whose name is commonly shortened to the Legion d’honneur – the French Ambassador to the UK, Sylvie Berman, wrote:
“As we contemplate this Europe of peace, we must never forget the heroes like you, who came from Britain and the Commonwealth to begin the liberation of Europe by liberating France. We owe our freedom and security to your dedication, because you were ready to risk your life.”
Bill joined the Royal Marines back in 1943 – at a time when the Corps was around 80,000 strong and had a variety of responsibilities from manning turrets on Royal Navy warships to crewing landing craft, serving as naval infantry and conducting commando raids.
"We owe our freedom and security to your dedication, because you were ready to risk your life."French Ambassador to the UK, Sylvie Berman
Londoner Bill signed up for 14 shillings a fortnight – about £95 today – in 1943, went through 12 weeks of training at Lympstone and neighbouring Woodbury Common and then joined the crew of a Landing Craft.
On D-Day Bill coxed his boat to Arromanches – Gold beach – offloading equipment and remained off the Normandy coast for six weeks.
He remained in the Corps after the war, serving in the Middle East and Hong Kong before joining civvy street in 1952, settling in Exeter where he was a postie for 35 years.
He routinely takes part in Royal Marines Association parades and marched with his RMA comrades through Exmouth in 2014 as part of the 1664 Challenge celebrating the Corps’ 350th birthday.
He is currently a mentor for recruits in Hunter Company who are taken on a battlefield tour of the Normandy battlefield; Bill often accompanies them, sharing his experiences of the invasion.
Related topics
Join Our Newsletter
