A Royal salute to D Day hero Harry Billinge’s fundraising for Normandy veterans
I WAS delighted to see the photograph (The Yorkshire Post, March 4) of 94-year-old Harry Billinge receiving the MBE from Her Majesty the Queen.
He was correctly described as one of the first to land on Gold Beach on D-Day, but what the report failed to say was that his MBE was “For services to charitable fundraising”. Harry has single-handedly raised £30,000 towards the cost of the British Normandy Memorial currently being erected in France.
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Hide AdHe is quoted in the news item as saying “some men were baptised in their own blood. And what for? Not much”. Our ability to live in freedom is exactly “what for” and we should salute all those who gave their lives – and those who fought and survived.
If any readers would like to contribute to the Memorial, The Normandy Memorial Trust would be delighted to hear from them.
From: Andrew Mercer, Guiseley.
DIDN’T the Queen look proud when she presented D-Day veteran Harry Billinge with his MBE? He clearly made her day. More importantly, this is what the honours system is for, genuine heroes rather than all the jobsworths. I hope others agree.
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