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A Second World War veteran who served in the Royal Navy as part of the D-Day landings has died aged 100.
Henry Rice, of Cranleigh, Surreywas a signalman on HMS Eastway, a ship that transported Allied troops and equipment to Normandy in 1944.
He arrived off Juno Beach five days after D-Day, and was awarded the Legion of Honor by the French government for his service.
The Spirit of Normandy Trust, a charity that promotes veterans’ aid, announced Mr Rice’s death in a statement on Monday, calling him a “great character with a cheeky smile”.
It said he was “committed to remembering those who were sent to war and never returned”.
Mr Rice traveled to France with a group of veterans in June to mark the 82nd anniversary of the landings.
He discussed his memories the war with French school children alongside fellow Normandy veteran Ken Hay, who died last month at the age of 101.
D-Day veterans Richard Brock with (front row left to right) Ken Hay, Mr Rice and Ken Benbow. Photo: PA
He previously told the Press Association about the importance of teaching younger generations about war, saying in 2024: “I think it’s important, this world is dangerous at the moment.
“When those children grow up and know what this is all about, they can collectively go to the politicians, the Russians can go to Putin and say ‘Oi, we already have all this. We don’t want it. Keep it, please’.”
“Whether the bigwigs will listen to us is another matter, but I really believe that if the population in general made their feelings known, I don’t mean shouting rubbish up and down the street, the politicians might listen.”
After the Normandy landings, Mr. Rice served in the Mediterranean and the Far East.
He worked on cruise ships and later after the war ended in the local fire service.
Mr Rice has attended several commemorative events in the UK, including the planting of ceramic poppies at the Tower of London in May 2025 – while giving Queen Camilla the last poppy to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
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Henry Rice and Queen Camilla in November 2025. Image: PA
The Spirit of Normandy Trust said: “Henry always represented veterans with dignity, especially when asked to lay a wreath on behalf of his colleagues or recite the Requiem or the Kohima Epitaph.
“Henry was a great character, with a cheeky smile that endeared him to everyone he met.
“He will be greatly missed by all and we offer our deepest condolences to his family.”
