Six-year-old boy wears great-uncle’s medals at D-Day service

Updated

A six-year-old boy proudly wore his great-uncle's medals to Bayeux War Cemetery to mark 75 years since the D-Day landings.

George Sayer, dressed in a suit and tie, visited the cemetery with 10 members of his family to "honour uncle George".

Due to wearing the medals, he was allowed to join veterans who walked the half a mile from a service at Bayeux Cathedral to the cemetery.

D-Day 75th anniversary
D-Day 75th anniversary

His great-uncle, who was also called George Sayer, was in one of the first landing craft on Sword Beach at about 7.35am on June 6, 1944.

Mr Sayer planned to come to mark the anniversary at Bayeux with his family but passed away about 18 months ago, aged 93.

Pat Sayer, George's Jnr's grandmother, said: "We decided to come as a family – there were 11 of us here today – to pay our respects and honour Uncle George.

"Uncle George's son Kerry requested that little George wear his medals.

"George was in one of the first landing craft on Sword Beach, at about 7.35am on June 6 1944.

"He was in the Navy and was bringing troops over. He also spent time helping to build the Mulberry harbour at Arromanches."

She added: "We took him back to Sword Beach once. It was a beautiful sunny day. I said to him, Look at the sea – how lovely and blue.

"He said: 'All I can see is a red sea with arms and legs floating in it.' He didn't speak much about the war otherwise.

"George says his great-uncle is his war hero. He knows all about D-Day and calls him his war hero."

George's proud parents Jo, 46, and Adam Sayer, 49, from Chipping Ongar in Essex, looked on as he held hands with veteran Jack Quinn, 95.

Mr Quinn, a former Royal Marine from Lincolnshire, was awarded the Croix de Guerre with silver star and has a mention in despatches for his wartime service.

He joined the Reserves in 1947 and remained on the active list until 1957.

George's grandmother Mrs Sayer added: "The service was amazing. We're going to to to make going to it a yearly thing.

"We just met John Quinn today. George talked to him about his great-uncle and told him that he was his war hero."

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