One of Britain’s last surviving D-Day heroes returned home from France after completing his ‘final mission’—and got straight back out collecting for the 68th consecutive year.
96-year-old Harry Billinge has completed what he described as his ‘last duty’ to pay tribute to his fallen friends who died on the Gold Beach during the landings in 1944.
He traveled back across the Channel to 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.
And after collecting at least £50K ($67k) towards the construction of the memorial, he said he was incredibly moved to see the names of his fallen friends carved in stone during the unveiling last month.
But instead of coming home to St Austell, Cornwall, to put his feet up—Harry has already been out collecting again to help maintain it and build an education center on the site.
He has now spent an incredible 68 years raising money for military charities—and said his new-found ‘celebrity status’ meant people were queuing this week to put money in his tin.
Harry was a former chair of the Cornwall branch of the Normandy Veterans Association, President of the Royal Engineers Association, and collected for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal for 64 years.
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In 2018, he turned his support to The Normandy Memorial Trust where he has since raised more than £50k through collecting at his local market.
Having returned from France, Harry described himself as ‘tired’ but happy.”
He added, “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.”
Harry was just 18 in 1944, serving with the 59th Independent Squadron of the Royal Engineers when he was part of the first wave on Gold Beach.
At the memorial—which cost nearly £30 million ($40 million) and was funded by the British government and private benefactors—Harry recounted how overwhelmed he was to see the name of his friend, a brother in arms who died on Gold Beach that day.
“I found a couple of my mate’s graves there, namely a man called Leeds, he had a three-week-old baby at the time when he died.
“He died in my arms.
“My generation saved the world”.
“Everything I’ve done has been for the memorial… I’m not a proud man,” he said, “pride is a deadly sin, but I am very happy that I was able to collect money and do my bit.”
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I’m not a proud man,” he said, “pride is a deadly sin, but I am very happy that I was able to collect money and do my bit.” Such timeless words from a man who dedicated his life to those fallen. Thank you, Harry Billinge.