A D-DAY hero given a standing ovation by the Queen and Donald Trump was today honoured by hundreds of mourners who turned out to see his funeral procession.
John Jenkin’s coffin was draped in a Union Jack and taken on a 13-mile route through the streets of his hometown Portsmouth, Hants.
His coffin was carried on a 13-mile procession through the streets of Portsmouth
He was one of the last surviving British Army veterans of the Normandy Landings in 1944
Mr Jenkins, who died last month shortly after his 100th birthday, was one of the last surviving Normandy landing veterans.
In 1944, he was deployed to Gold Beach, in Arromanches, France – one of five D-Day landing points on the French coast – and was tasked with moving ammunition forward from the beaches to the front line.
Wellwishers lined the streets to say farewell to the veteran, a former sergeant with the Royal Pioneer Corps.
The procession passed the D-Day Story museum where Mr Jenkins had volunteered for many years, where the hearse paused to allow mourners to applaud and salute.
HERO’S SEND-OFF
The procession moved along Southsea Esplanade and was taken past Fratton Park, the home of the British Army veteran’s cherished football club, Portsmouth.
Mr Jenkins, who carried the Olympic flame from the club’s ground during preparations for 2012 games in London, was honoured by around 30 Pompey fans at the stadium..
The hearse then made its way to nearby Portchester Crematorium, located among quiet memorial gardens.
As the hearse arrived, a crowd of around 40 mourners stood in silence and around 10 retired service personnel decorated with medals paid their respects.
Wellwishers paid their respects to the Normandy hero, who died just before his 100th birthday last month
Seven casket bearers in military uniform carried the D-Day hero’s coffin
Seven casket bearers in military uniform carried the coffin inside the building for a heartfelt service, followed shortly after by members of Mr Jenkins’ family.
During the 75th anniversary commemorations of D-Day in Normandy last June, he received a standing ovation as he told the story of his WW2 bravery.
As he walked on to the stage to make a moving speech, the entire crowd – including the Queen, Prince Charles, Donald Trump and Theresa May– rose to honour him.
Mr Jenkins was a 24-year-old platoon sergeant in the Pioneer Corps when he landed in Normandy on June 8, 1944.
Mr Jenkins, from Portsmouth, told the crowd: “I was terrified. I think everyone was – you don’t show it, but it’s there.
“I look back on it as a big part of my life, it changed me in a way – but I was just a small part in a very big machine.
“You never forget your comrades because we were all in there together.”
Mr Jenkins died at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth on December 17 following a short illness.
He served as a sergeant in the Royal Pioneer Corps during World War Two
