Trooper Roy Cadman (3 Commando, Royal East Kent Regiment) received the 'Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur' from the French military attaché at the Royal Hospital Chelsea yesterday. The Order is the highest decoration in France and is conferred for gallantry in action or twenty years of distinguished military or civilian service in peacetime.
Roy joined the army on his 17th birthday in 1940 (he lied about his age). In 1942 he joined the Commandos and fought in North Africa and Italy. He was wounded, captured and interrogated by the Germans but managed to escape, walking 17 miles back through enemy lines to safety.
On D-Day, Roy landed on Sword Beach and was in the line for 96 days, being shelled and mortared, before breaking out of the bridgehead, crossing over the Rhine and moving up through France and Belgium, finishing up at the Baltic at a German Naval Base.
Useful links: