D-Day veteran dies at the age of 95
A D-DAY veteran died on Monday at Chateau des Tielles Nursing Home, Torteval, aged 95.
As a soldier in the 1st Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers, Jack Rhodes and his comrades landed on Sword Beach, Normandy, on 6 June 1944.
Speaking years later, he recalled that day.
‘Weighed down with my rifle, ammunition and rations I waded ashore. Almost the first thing I stumbled on was a corpse.
‘Explosions and small-arms fire rent the air but the most appalling and devastating noise came from our battleships and cruisers as they directed their fire against the enemy.
‘For the next six weeks we lived in slit trenches being mortared and shelled daily until we gained our objective – the city of Caen. From my unit of 125 men only 20 remained unscathed – the rest were either killed or wounded.’
In 1986 Mr Rhodes and wife Beryl left their Nottingham home to live with their daughter Gail Jackson and husband Norman in Torteval.
Mrs Rhodes died in 2002 and in 2013 her husband moved into care.
In June 2014, to mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day, the French government announced that it would award all surviving D-Day veterans with the country’s highest honour.
In 2016 at Les Grandes Landes Care Home, Mr Rhodes was presented with France’s Chevalier de l’Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur by Honorary French Consul Mme Odile Blanchette. The acting Lt-Governor Sir Richard Collas and Mr and Mrs Jackson were also present.
Evan and Norma Ozanne were neighbours and good friends with Mr and Mrs Rhodes. Mr Ozanne said that for several years they would visit them every Friday for drinks.
‘Jack loved watching all sport and particularly cricket,’ said Mr Ozanne. ‘In the early years he would occasionally visit Nottingham to see friends and watch a Test match. He also enjoyed gardening and would happily talk about landing on the Normandy beaches when the Allied forces invaded on the 6 June.
‘We continued to visit Jack after Beryl died. Whenever we left after meeting him he and I would salute one another – as old soldiers.
‘Jack was a lovely, kind and gentle man. He was a proud soldier and a gentleman.’
A celebration of Mr Rhodes’ life will be held at the Foulon Crematorium Chapel on Monday, which would have been his 96th birthday, at 10am. Family and friends are welcome to attend.
