A D-DAY veteran who was disappointed to not be able to travel to Normandy for the 75th anniversary commemorations is to have a specially-organised event at Whiston Hospital.

Raymond Rush, 95, was part of the first wave landing on Sword Beach, Normandy on 6 June, 1944 and saw action in France, Holland and Belgium and finished up in Croatia.

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He was demobbed in 1948 and returned to St Helens, where he set up as a pig farmer before going on to work at Greenalls brewery.

Raymond was upset that he has had to miss his official trip to France with the Royal British Legion as he has been ill in hospital.

However, the St Helens Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club is helping to put this right for him by organising a commemoration at Whiston Hospital.

Raymond was recently decorated by the French government being made Un Chevalier de Legion d’Honneur, a knight of France.

He featured in the Star last year when he appeared on the pitch at half-time of a Saints match against Wakefield in June last year.

After today's breakfast club, the organisation is going to visit him in hospital for a celebration, where attendants will be honouring Ray and those who didn’t return.

The celebrations is to take place this afternoon outside Whiston Hospital.