ONE of Britain’s last Normandy invasion heroes who survived his tank being blown up has died aged 101.
After fighting in France, Richard Aldred, of Callington, Cornwall drove a
Cromwell tank through Belgium and Holland and into Berlin.
His death was announced by the British Normandy Memorial.
On the 80th anniversary of D-Day in 2024 Richard said: “We lost a hell of a lot of good, good people, and the Germans did as well.
“I had to bury a lieutenant and a trooper together. I knew them well, you
know. It’s no joke. I was crying.”
He added: “We’re not heroes, We’re not brave. If you’re in a tank crew, you
stick together like glue. You mustn’t let your mates down.”
Richard who served with 7th Armoured Division, revealed how he nipped out of his tank to answer the call of nature and came across a bombed-out pub full of booze.
He said: “I grabbed two or three, or four bottles took them back to the tank.
“For my trouble I got a rocket from Major John Ward Harris who told me
‘Don’t you dare do that again – bloody place might have been booby trapped! But thanks very much for the booze.’”
A spokesman for the British Normandy Memorial Trust said: “We are very
sad to share that Normandy Veteran Richard Aldred has passed away at the weekend aged 101.
“Richard visited the Memorial many times since its opening thanks to support from The Spirit of Normandy Trust.”
In June 2024, Richard travelled back to Normandy for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings where he met King Charles III.
The two shared a joke, telling the BBC at the time: “I must have said something funny because we were laughing about it all.
“He’s nothing like a king you read about in history books where you get your head chopped off for saying the wrong thing.
“He was a bloke you would be happy to have breakfast with and a laugh.”
Two months later, he visited the region again on a personal pilgrimage.
He went to Bourneville – a town Richard and his tank crew helped liberate 80 years ago – and received the status of Freeman of the Town during a special dinner.
