One of last surviving Royal Marines to fight on D-Day dies

One of the few remaining Royal Marines who saw action on D-Day has died with the head of the Royal Marines paying tribute to the 98-year-old.

Frederick 'Fred' Fitch was just 19 when he machine-gunned German strongpoints on Sword Beach to provide covering fire for British troops on his landing craft.

He was wounded in the hand by shrapnel as the men stormed ashore, watching the first three soldiers get shot down by the enemy.

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The remaining troops landed on the beach successfully, with Mr Fitch then returning to his parent ship, rescuing the survivors of a sinking landing craft on the way.

After receiving treatment for his injured hand, Mr Fitch was back in action within days, helping to transfer troops and equipment to shore.

General Gwyn Jenkins, Commandant General of the Royal Marines, said Mr Fitch's service on Sword Beach "exemplified the Commando spirit that we continue to instil in our Royal Marine Commandos today".

He died at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital on 28 October 2023, the same day the Royal Marine Corps celebrated its 359th birthday – "just to make sure we wouldn't forget him", some of his fellow marines quipped.

"One of courage, determination, unselfishness and cheerfulness in the face of adversity, Fred and others like him will be remembered by generations to come," Gen Jenkins said.

"As we approach the National Day of Remembrance we can reflect on the feats of Fred and the many veterans like him.

"An ardent supporter of the Marines throughout his life, we owe Fred and fellow veterans an incredible debt of gratitude."

Mr Fitch, who originally came from Tooting, south London, joined the Royal Marines in June 1943.

After passing out of the Infantry Training Centre Royal Marines at Lympstone, he was sent to join the Raiding Craft Flotilla Base in Essex.

He was then posted to 543 Assault Flotilla on the LSI(L) HMS Glenearn, before undergoing training in Scotland.

After operations in France were over, his ship was set to be sent to the Pacific to fight Japan, but Tokyo surrendered before HMS Glenearn arrived.

Mr Fitch was discharged from the Marines at the end of the war and he went on to marry and settle with his family in Norwich – where he became a member of the RM Association (RMA) and later the city's Royal Naval Association branch.

As an active member of both, he raised more than £20,000 for the RMA, standing outside shops and collecting money while sharing his wartime stories.

In 2019, Mr Fitch returned to the beaches for the final time, thanks to the RMA, as part of the 75th anniversary of the Normandy landings.