THE Government of France has told the UK Ministry of Defence that it wishes to recognise the selfless acts of heroism and determination displayed by all surviving veterans of the Normandy landings, and of the wider campaigns to liberate France in 1944, by awarding them with the Legion d’Honneur.

This recognition extends beyond the troops who landed on and fought their way up the beaches 70 years ago, and will include Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel who operated in support of the landings.

Requests for the award should be made at gov.uk/government/ publications/d-day-70-applic ation-form-for-award-of-the-legion-dhonneur and will be processed by the MoD, who will forward the details to the French authorities. Any veterans wishing to apply for the award, or anyone enquiring on their behalf, should either send the form to: Personnel and Training – Defence Services Secretary – Commemorations Floor 6 Zone C Ministry of Defence Main Building LONDON SW1A 2HB Or email it to PersTrg-DSSec-CommemAug1@mod.uk.

The French Government will be reviewing the applications, so the MoD is unable to give any guidance on timings or the arrangements for the presentation of the awards. Awards will not be given posthumously, and any further questions should be directed to the French authorities.