TODAY we honour hero veterans from Flintshire and Wrexham who fought on D-Day.
Today (Thursday, June 6) marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings - when thousands of Allied troops landed in Normandy as the campaign to liberate Europe from the Nazis began.
Among them were men from Flintshire and Wrexham, some of whom paid the ultimate sacrifice to secure our future freedom.
Ted Edwards, who grew up in Rhostyllen, was Wrexham's oldest surviving D-Day veteran before his passing in 2022.
His medals are numerous and include the French Legion of Honour award, the highest French Order of Merit.
Mr Edwards served with the Green Howards and landed on Normandy beach during the Second World War.
READ MORE: D-Day veteran from Flintshire weeps in emotional return to landing beach 80 years on
After that, when Mr Edwards came out of the army, he finished his apprenticeship at Pentre Felin and qualified as a sheet metal worker and went to work for Rubery Owen for over 30 years, then Cadburys in Chirk for 12 years and retired at 65.
Another local man who fought on D-Day was Herbert Humphreys, from Buckley. The 24-year-old landed on the beach at Normandy, and fought in the battle of Caen. Tragically, he was killed by a sniper in July 1944. His name is etched on the Normandy Memorial.
His niece, Anne Farnworth, said: "Herbert was the eldest of four boys. While he was fighting in Normandy, his brother, Wynne, my dad, was on the Arctic Convoys, serving in the Royal Navy.
"Our family are proud that they served their country and are both heroes to us. Herbert and thousands of young men and women gave their lives for our freedom, we owe them so much and must never forget."
In 1942, a 17-year-old Donald Jones, from Mold, presented himself to the Royal Navy’s recruitment office in Wrexham.
Two years later, he was fighting on D-Day, among thousands who landed on Sword Beach.
Speaking previously, he explained: "In one incident a shell from a German shore battery passed me by six to eight feet, but only two feet above my crouching number two gunner on the port side gun.
"It went straight through the closed wheelhouse door, and out of the bulkhead on the starboard side before hitting the guardrail and disappearing into the sea.
"We assume this was a dud as it failed to explode and we only suffered two injuries.
"My number two gunner, whose head it passed over, temporarily lost his hearing, while the Starboard gun number two received a shrapnel wound to his shoulder and was taken off the ship.
"After the first couple of weeks, shell fire from the coastal batteries was minimal but we did need to keep a watch for U-Boats."
Among the decorations awarded to Mr Jones in recognition of his service, was the Legion d’Honneur (Chevalier) medal.
After the war, Mr Jones went to work at Courtaulds, Flint, before moving to ICI Rhydymwyn and then 14 years at Synthite in Mold. With the building of the Queen’s Park estate in Mold, he opened a newsagents in the newly built shops in Elm Drive.
This week, the 99-year-old veteran travelled to Sword Beach, Normandy, with the Royal British Legion to take part in commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day on Thursday (June 6).
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