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D-Day soldier receives French honour MEADOWPARK

A Swindon veteran of the D-Day School and
Landings has been recognised for
his contribution to the Allied libera- Nursery
tion of France in 1944. Visitors warmly welcomed
Now aged 95 and living in
Moredon, Jim Trew has been OPEN DAYS
awarded the rank of Chevalier de Friday 16 October
la Legion d’Honneur by the French 9am to 3pm
government.
He has another European Saturday 17 October
connection from the last year of 9.30am to 1pm
the war when his unit was posted
to Holland and he met his future Inspirational
wife Henny in a battered street in Education
Nijmegen, shortly after the German Childcare
occupation had ended. with Love
With remarkable clarity he recalls Nursery 0-4 years
the day in 1938 when he joined the Jim holding the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur for Boys and Girls 0 - 11 years
reserves of the Kensington regiment
before being conscripted into the a battle honour which appears on He recalls: “I drove into Rem- “Pupils
army, his subsequent posting to regimental flags.” brandt Strasse in Nijmegen and make
Iceland, and in 1944 landing on the The 49th Division then took part pulled up to see a lovely 15 year old outstanding
progress
Normandy beaches. in the freeing of Le Havre and school girl standing on the doorstep ... owing to
He saw action with the 49th small towns in northern France of the house next door to the house outstanding
Division including the battle for up to Tilburg in Holland. Without where battalion headquarters were teaching.”
Fontenay Ridge in the Odon river assistance from any other units the based. Not a word or smile was
valley which saw the Germans lose Kensingtons liberated Vorselaar in passed, but something happened Outstanding
hundreds of men and armoured Belgium. because four years later we were in EVERY
vehicles. “It was the last organised At the end of November 1944, married.” category!
armoured attack mounted by the Jim arrived with his unit to take up Read the full story including
Germans in Normandy and was an civilian billets in Nijmegen where how Jim courted Henny in the last 01793 752600
indication of the end of their fight- the defence of the bridge was to months of the war and beyond at:
ing machine. Odon was awarded as take place that winter. www.bit.ly/jimtrew meadowparkschool.co.uk

Magazine features sailor’s Dunkirk spirit

Ivor Frost from North Swindon with his daughter Diane
The Autumn edition of Swindon His naval career saw him serve in
Heritage magazine tells the story of all the major conflicts of the Second
a Swindon sailor who 75 years ago World War.
played a part in the ten day opera- Ivor collected a treasure trove of
tion to evacuate over 338,000 sol- photographs which are featured in
diers from the beaches of Dunkirk. Swindon Heritage magazine which
Eighteen year old Ivor Frost was has published quarterly since 2012
a young shop assistant from Rod- and is run as a not-for-profit social
bourne serving as an able seaman enterprise by three local historians.
aboard the light cruiser HMS Dido Single copies can be purchased at
when he rowed lifeboats to pick up Swindon Central Library. To find out
men from the beaches and transport more and to subscribe via:
them to larger ships at sea. www.swindonheritage.com
swindonlink.com n September 2015 3