Two British veterans have been finally awarded the Légion d'Honneur, France’s highest order of military merit, with a little help from the North Dorset branch of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity.
Peter Gardner, 97, and William 'Bill' Ridgewell, 94, were both awarded the Légion d'Honneur at Blandford Army Camp in Dorset on Thursday 17th January. The ceremony was attended by both British and French military, as well as friends and family and their SSAFA caseworker, Nick Bate.
The two men were both enlisted into Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers (REME) and took part in D-Day in 1944. They were awarded the Légion d'Honneur by Colonel Cedric Franco and Lieutenant Colonel Gregory Fierling. Lord Lieutenant for Dorset, Mr Angus Campbell, also assisted in the presentation.
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Peter was called up in 1942 and was sent to Derby to train as a Wireless Mechanic. He was engaged on Operation Market Garden and went through Northern France, Belgium and Nijmegen in Holland. He returned to England in October 1944 and was awarded the 1939-1945 Star, France-Germany Star and 1939-1945 War Medal. Following his discharge in 1946, he became an art teacher in London’s East End and married his then wife Pat. Peter is also an artist, and is still painting into his 98th year, with a forthcoming exhibition at the Shaftesbury Gallery in Devon.
In April 1943, Bill was enlisted at Cambridge and worked along the coast through Belgium, Holland and into Germany during the Liberation. Bill landed at Sword Beach in Normandy on June 11th, 1944 and engaged in a mine disposal on the beach. Bill was discharged in October 1946 and has been awarded the 1939-1945 Star, France-Germany Star and the 1939-1945 War Medal. Following his discharge, Bill returned to farming in North Dorset and married his then wife Paddy.
In addition, the award ceremony was attended by a small group of French school pupils from Caen in Northern France. The group were invited to attend the ceremony after they wrote a letter to Peter whilst studying the Liberation of France for a school project.
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