ONE of the last remaining D-Day veterans has had his Covid vaccination – and he said: "I think it is marvellous."

Cliff Brown, aged 94, received his first jab at Wareham Hospital.

The World War Two veteran was taken by his son, Clive, who even filmed the event for prosperity on his mobile phone.

And for those in two minds about receiving the jab, Cliff said: "Anyone who has anything bad to say about the NHS must be mad.

"Get the jab, have done with it. It doesn't cost you anything."

Cliff, from Swanage, served with the Royal Navy in WWII, surviving the bloody assault on Omaha Beach during the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944, by digging a hole in the sand.

Aged just 17, he'd been washed up on the beach after his landing vessel was hit by shellfire.

He remained on the beach for eight hours while American troops battled for control of the beachhead, on what became the bloodiest of all the landing beaches on D-Day.

Cliff, who worked as a leading stoker in the engine room of a British minesweeper, had been transferred onto a landing craft to help as it came under heavy enemy fire.

Asked by the Echo how he felt after receiving his first shot of the Covid vaccine, Cliff said: "I feel a bit more relieved now, with the way things are going around the country.

"But I've never been too worried about it at all.

"I've been through a bit in my time – I've been machine-gunned, I've been bombed, sunk...and I got away with it.

"Also, in the 1920s and 30s I got away with the epidemics then."

Son Clive said his father was phoned at the weekend to say he had the appointment.

"Then, we got the letter on Monday and we went this morning, we had to queue for a little while but it was well organised," he said.

"There was a nice atmosphere, especially as he met up with an few old mates he hasn't seen for a while who were also there getting their vaccinations.

"I'm happy he has had his vaccination now, my mum is 84 so she has to wait another week or two."