Honour for two Macclesfield D-Day heroes

Two brave Macclesfield residents have been awarded the highest French order of merit for their distinguished service during the Second World War.

Kenneth Newton, aged 94, (pictured above) and George Lucas, aged 92, were appointed to the rank of chevalier, or knight, of the Légion d’Honneur for their engagement and involvement in the D-Day landings. The presentation of their medals by the Honorary French Consul of Manchester, Monsieur Rodolphe Soulard, took place at Parkmount Care Home, Macclesfield, and Macclesfield General Hospital, respectively, in the presence of friends and family, as well as the Mayor of Macclesfield, Councillor Beverley Dooley and Macclesfield MP, David Rutley.

A member of the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, Kenneth reached the beaches of Normandy by landing craft. Along with others from his platoon, he dug trenches overnight, and planned to damage the attacking German Panzer Tanks with six pounder anti-tank guns. He then supported the defence of vital bridges, to allow the rest of the division to pass through to Belgium and Holland. Kenneth remembers surviving twelve attempts by German divisions against the Anti-Tank platoon.

Awarded the Legion d’Honneur – George Lucas (click on image to enlarge)

George, who was born in Shropshire and grew up in Attingham Park, joined the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1943. He embarked on the SS Invicta for Normandy, landing at Arromanches, from where his platoon marched to Bayeux – the site chosen for the hospital for the casualties of D-Day. On the first day alone, 717 casualties of the Battle at Normandy were treated there. In December 1944, George was posted to India Command, returning to the UK in 1946. He visited Normandy in 2010 with his grandson, Jordan, and was touched by the kindness he was shown there.

It was announced in 2014 that the Government of France wished to honour all surviving Allied veterans of D-Day, for the selfless acts of heroism and determination that they displayed in pursuit of the liberation of France and the rest of Western Europe. As their Member of Parliament, David has been actively supporting Mr Newton’s and Mr Lucas’ applications for the Legion d’Honneur through the Ministry of Defence.

MP David later said, “It was a privilege to attend these ceremonies and to see George and Kenneth recognised with this special honour. The bravery, sacrifice and service that they and countless others demonstrated must never be forgotten. We owe the freedom that we enjoy to their actions, and it is entirely right that they have been thanked in this way today.”