A D-Day veteran who bravely stormed Nazi-occupied beaches while under fire during WW2 will today (Wed) receive a guard of honor – on his 100th birthday.
Valiant Jack Mortimer was just 20 when he drove onto Sword Beach, in Normandy, on June 6, 1944, in his jeep as enemy mortar shells exploded around him.
And he still remembers the terrifying ‘noise’ and ‘smell’ of the dangerous mission to secure the landing zone, which helped turn the tide of war in the allies’ favor.
Today (Wed), he was given a guard of honor by dignitaries at Leeds Civic Hall to celebrate his milestone birthday.
Humble Jack said: “I don’t think I’m a hero.
“The heroes are the ones who didn’t come home, and they should always be remembered – the only heroes in any war are the ones that don’t come back.”
“When I go back there now, I cry. I saw bodies being brought off that beach.”
Jack, who was in the 12th Ordnance Beach detachment during the amphibious assault, married his sweetheart Flo while on leave from the army in 1945.
He’d been in the army for a few years when he volunteered his services as a driver for what would become one of the most decisive battles of WW2.
Jack was tasked with transporting troops during Operation Neptune – the name given to D-Day landings – as the Allied forces pushed into mainland Europe.
And when he disembarked his support ship for his rendezvous point – nicknamed name Sword Beach – he witnessed the carnage of the battle all around him.
He said: “I’d been in the army for a couple of years, and I volunteered for the 12th Ordnance Beach detachment because they wanted a driver and despatch rider.
“There were thousands and thousands of ships on either side of us, loads of vehicles, tanks and artillery
“It was dangerous, there were snipers all around. It was noisy, smoky, and smelly, and I saw lots of casualties.”
Jack then advanced onto Caen, Northern France, with other infantry and later delivered messages to commanders on his motorbike while dodging the enemy.
He also served in Antwerp and the Hook of Holland, where he remained until the end of the war.
His fiancée Flo waited for him throughout the War, and the pair got married during his first period of leave, roughly one year after D-Day.
And he became the general manager of a clothing company in his hometown of Halifax, West Yorks., when he left the army after the war.
The pair were together for 78 years – with Jack regularly visiting her even when she needed to live in a care home during her later years.
But sadly, she died over, just a few days before his 100th birthday celebrations.
Jack will be the guest of honor at a reception inside Leeds Civic Hall today (Wed), which was staged by the Royal British Legion to mark his big day.
And Frances Barber, Poppy Appeal Manager at the charity, said she was delighted that she could help him celebrate his centenary.
She said: “We are delighted to be able to mark Jack’s 100th birthday, and it gives the city of Leeds an opportunity to thank him for his service.
“He’s a very humble man, but without people like Jack we would not be able to enjoy the democratic freedoms and way of life that we have today.”
Jack thanked the charity for their work and said he hoped to return to Normandy to mark 80 years since the famous battle next June.
He added: “I’ve been back to Normandy on various anniversaries, and I am hoping to return again one more time for D-Day 80 with the Royal British Legion (RBL).
“I will always be grateful to the RBL for giving me the opportunity to return to Normandy, and that’s why I always support their annual Poppy Appeal.”
Produced in association with SWNS Talker
