The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
One of the last surviving veterans of D-Day has died at the age of 98.
Tom Fowler was awarded France’s highest military decoration, the Legion d’honneur, two years ago.
He attended Remembrance Parades both locally and in London and was a well-known veteran in Spalding.
He died in the early hours of last Tuesday at the Cedar Falls home.
“He loved taking part in the Normandy Veteran events. He was a standard bearer,” said his widow Gwen.
“He was taken ill in the late summer and spent time in Spalding’s hospital before he was transferred to Cedar Falls.
“Staff at both have been wonderful throughout and I would really like to thank them,” she said.
“Also to his daugher-in-law Jacquie Fowler,” added Gwen.
Her late husband leaves three sons.
Mr Fowler received his award at the age of 96 and the French ambassador, Sylvie Bermann, told him:
“We owe our freedom and security to your dedication because you were ready to risk your life.”
“As we contemplate this Europe of peace, we must never forget the heroes like you who came from Britain and the Commonwealth to begin the liberation of Europe,” she added.
The presentation ceremony was held just before Tom’s 97th birthday at The Lighthouse Church, Haverfield Road.
He joined the 4th battalion Lincolnshire Regiment at the age of 20 in 1939 and served throughout World War Two.
Like his comrades, Tom knew nothing of the D-Day landings in 1994 before he took part.
He was in a landing craft which left Newport and arrived in Normandy on June 10.
“The idea, we found out afterwards, was that we were going to follow the tanks from Caen, but Caen hadn’t fallen [to the Allies]”.
His group took over trenches at a nearby village but was forced to retreat when British aircraft came in to bomb the area.
He also served in Norway and Iceland. After the D-Day operation he was given a role at a prisoner of war camp near Bayeux and was finally demobbed in 1950.
Born in Spalding, Tom and his late brothers Horace, Jack and Albert all survived the war.
In civilian life he worked at Geest Transport where he was a foreman.
Tom’s funeral will be held at the South Lincolnshire Crematorium, Surfleet, on November 1 at 12pm.
No flowers have been requested.
