An army veteran who landed on the beaches of Normandy in 1944 has celebrated his 95th birthday.
Melville John Wintle, who lives in Caerphilly, celebrated his birthday with family and friends at the Fisherman’s Rest in Bedwas, where he received a visit from Caerphilly County Borough Mayor Mike Adams.
Mr Wintle was just 20-years-old when he landed on Arromanches Beach.
He joined the army as a junior in 1939 – the year war broke out – and left as a corporal in 1950.
Mr Wintle, who was part of the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers, told Caerphilly Observer: “I was one of the lucky ones. When I landed, they had got the first Mulberry harbour so I didn’t have to get my feet wet.
“I was lucky not being a combat soldier – I was never on the frontline fighting like the others.
“It’s the people who didn’t come back who are the real heroes.”
During his time in Normandy Mr Wintle spent time at Caen prison repairing vehicles.
After the war, he spent time in Germany and was there during the Berlin airlift.
“I joined the army to get out of going down the pits, but I ended up going down as an electrician.”
After the war, Mr Wintle worked at the mine in Llanbradach, as well as working for Lansing Bagnall forklift trucks as an area supervisor.
In his spare time, the veteran is a keen angler and was one of the founding members of Caerphilly Angling Club in 1951.
“When I was first in the army, I used to fish in Trethomas and kept the interest up when abroad,” he said.
“I moved to Trethomas in 1926 because of the general strike. Pits had closed and my father lost his job, so he got a job in Bedwas pit and we lived in an apartment.”
In 1954, Mr Wintle married Margaret and the couple had two daughters and three grandchildren together.
In 2015, Mr Wintle became the first veteran from South Wales to receive the Legion d’Honneur – the highest honour issued by France for military conduct.
He was presented the honour by Marie Brousseau-Navarro, Honorary Consul of France in Cardiff.
Mr Wintle said: “She has a soft spot for me because I was the first person she gave a Legion d’Honneur to.”