More than 75 years have passed since Geoff Rose signed up to fight for his country’s independence and last week he was rewarded for his extraordinary courage and bravery.
He was handed the legion d’honneur at St Nicholas Church in Portishead on December 14 by the French Consul, Josette Lebrat.
The award is the highest French order for military and civil merits and was handed to Geoff for his involvement at Dunkirk in World War Two.
Geoff, who will turn 100 next month, was among the first people to sign up to fight in September 1939.
He served as an army tradesman and spent the first part of the war in France.
He was among the 330,000 British and French troops rescued from Dunkirk, before returning to the UK to train for the Normandy Landings.
His daughter-in-law Mary Rose said: “His second child, a daughter was born on June 2, 1944 while Geoff was in London awaiting embarkation.
“He didn’t see her until the following May, when he had some leave.
By the end of August 1945, Geoff had been demobbed and spent some weeks helping to rebuild Coventry.
“Whenever the subject comes up, he always says he thinks: ‘War is absolutely foolish and wicked’.”
Geoff and his wife Win moved to Portishead in 1982 to be nearer to his son Peter and his family.
The couple regularly worshipped at St Nicholas Church and therefore it seemed the perfect place for last week’s ceremony.
Source: http://www.northsomersettimes.co.uk/news/portishead_war_hero_99_receives_french_honour_1_4824065
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