A SECOND World War veteran from Oaksey received the highest honour bestowed by France yesterday for the heroic part he played in liberating the country on D-Day.

95-year old Stanley Hancock, who has lived in Oaksey his whole life, received the Légion d’honneur medal at an emotional ceremony at Oaksey Village Hall.

Lady Gooch the High Sheriff of Wiltshire, David Lewis the Under Sheriff of Wiltshire, war veterans, local residents and children from the Oaksey Primary School, where he studied as a boy, were in attendance to honour Mr Hancock.

He said after being awarded the medal: “[It was] very emotional. I’m glad they’ve done it here and made a show of it.

“It’s a memory that I’ll keep; it’s very beautiful.”

Following the 70th anniversary of D-Day, French President François Hollande pledged to award the Légion d’honneur medal to all of the surviving British veterans that took part in the Normandy Landings.

The French Consul for south west England Mme Josette Lebrat, presented Mr Hancock with the Chevalier class of the Légion d’honneur on Wednesday on behalf of France and described him as “a hero of the Second World War”.

Speaking after the presentation Mme Lebrat said: “It’s very important for the French people. It is the highest distinction in France, which recognises all military or civilian merits.

“I feel it is important now to recognise what these veterans did during the war; they helped liberate France.”

Mr Hancock was sent to Normandy to take part in the D-Day invasion as a Sherman tank driver in June 1944.

“I can remember driving up Sword beach in a Sherman tank,” he recalled.

“But I got wounded in Italy so they took me off the tanks and then I was in charge of recovering burned out tanks.”

After D-Day Mr Hancock moved to Caen against fierce German resistance, taking over three weeks to cover the eleven miles.

He then travelled towards Arnhem in Holland where he took on his work repairing tanks.

On his discharge from the Army in 1946, he returned home to Oaksey and worked as a lorry driver on farms.

He became a star centre forward at the Oaksey football club during the 1949/50 season, scoring 46 goals and helping his team to win the Cirencester Hospital Cup and the Division 2 title of the local league.

Mr Hancock still lives in the house he was born in 95 years ago in Oaksey.

Arun Desai, vice-chair of Kemble and District Royal British Legion, and Oaksey resident, organised the ceremony. He said: “Stanley Hancock is an amazing man, who served his country with distinction and conspicuous bravery.

“I started this work many months ago, when Mr Hancock got the medal in the post in late October.

"He had been offered a presentation in Bath by Mme Lebrat but his infirmity precluded travel so I requested Mme Lebrat to come to Oaksey to bestow the honour, which she did.

“I thought we’d turn this into a big event for Oaksey; this kind of thing doesn’t happy very often. So we are very proud our son has done so well.

“This award is richly deserved.”

After the medal had been presented Mr Hancock was given a cushion made by Oaksey resident Catherine Woodward and a hamper on behalf of the village.

Prints of a photo of Oaksey church taken by resident David Hall were also presented to Lady Gooch, David Lewis and Mme Josette Lebrat.

Mr Hancock said after the ceremony had concluded: “I can’t thank anymore Mr Desai; it couldn’t have been better.”