D-Day hero Harry Billinge was a regular on our tv screens through his remarkable fundraising that helped to build the British Normandy Memorial remembering the fallen of the Normandy landings.
It bears the names of 22,442 servicemen and women under British command and was unveiled on June 6, 2021. Harry raised over £50,000 for the tribute.
His dream of building the memorial captured the nation's hearts and the project was closely followed by major media outlets bringing his personal story into millions of homes.
Harry from St Austell, Cornwall, was just 18 when he landed on Gold Beach on June 6, 1944. He was a sapper attached to the 44 Royal Engineer Commandos and was one of only four of his unit to survive the storming of Gold.
"It was hell on earth. Murder. The sea was red with blood, human blood," he recalled.
Harry said the memory of the servicemen killed during D-Day had "never left him" and that had been the driving force in wanting to create the memorial.
Mr Billinge, who received an MBE for his work, said it was "wonderful" to meet the Queen.
"I never expected any medal for collecting a few pounds, or a thousand pounds for the boys that never came back.
"All I set out to do, I achieved and I'm still doing it."
"She was very, very kind. There are no words to describe it."
The veteran, who also holds France's highest award, the Legion d'Honneur, was well-known for his charity work in Cornwall, where he has collected for the Poppy Appeal for more than 60 years.
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