Harry Billinge MBE (15 September 1925 – 5 April 2022) was a British soldier.
Harry Billinge | |
|---|---|
 Billinge as a soldier and veteran | |
| Born | 15 September 1925 |
| Died | 5 April 2022 (aged 96) |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
Billinge was born on 15 September 1925.[1] He served as a sapper with the 44 Royal Engineer Commandos during the Normandy landings.[2] After World War II, Billinge moved to Cornwall and opened a hairdressers.[3]
In a 2019 interview with BBC Billinge was quoted as saying "Don't thank me and don't say I'm a hero. I'm no hero, I was lucky, I'm here. All the heroes are dead and I'll never forget them as long as I live."[4]
Billinge was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to charitable fundraising,[5] after raising more than £25,000 towards the cost of construction of the British Normandy Memorial.[6] He was also awarded the Legion d'Honneur.[7]
In 2020, train company GWR named one of their Class 802 trains after him.[8]
Billinge died on 5 April 2022, at the age of 96. A funeral was held at St Paul's Church in Charlestown on 26 April 2022.[9]
References
edit- ↑ "Harry Billinge". Veterans' Foundation. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ↑ Middleton, Joe (5 April 2022). "D-Day veteran Harry Billinge dies aged 96 as daughter pays tribute". The Independent.
- ↑ "Forces for Good - An interview with Harry Billinge". Freemasonry Today. 6 June 2021.
- ↑ "D-Day veteran Harry Billinge: 'I'm no hero - I was lucky'". Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ↑ "No. 62866". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 2019. p. N16.
- ↑ "New Year Honours: MBE for D-Day veteran Harry Billinge". BBC News. 28 December 2019.
- ↑ [D-Day veteran and fundraiser Harry Billinge dies aged 96 https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/apr/05/d-day-veteran-and-fundraiser-harry-billinge-dies-aged-96]
- ↑ "Great Western Railway name train after D-Day Veteran". RailAdvent. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ↑ "Harry Billinge: Hundreds at funeral of D-Day veteran". BBC News. 26 April 2022.
External links
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