96-year-old Harry Billinge just returned home from a trip to France from what he's called his "last duty," where he paid tribute to the fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice who passed on the Gold Beach during the Normandy landings of 1944.
Billinge made the journey in order to pay respects in-person and support a tribute recording the names of all 22,442 service personnel who died under British command on D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.
As soon as he returned home, too, Billinge was out collecting money and donations for military charities, a passion of his which he's participated for 68 consecutive years!
In 2018, he turned his attention towards the Normandy Memorial Trust where he has since raised more than £50k through collecting at his local market. He told the Metro, "I don't think I could give you words to it, about how I felt. 'It was very, very moving for me, and it still moves me now. I had a wonderful time because everyone there knows me now in Normandy."
Billinge was just 18-years-old in 1944 when he served with the 59th Independent Squadron of the Royal Engineers and was part of the first wave on Gold Beach. These days, he's still out three days a week collecting donations for the monument.
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