Wirral man awarded Legion d'honneur for his efforts during the Normandy Landings

Robert Barker, from Upton was presented with the prestigious Legion d’honneur in recognition of his efforts during the Normandy Landings and 'steadfast involvement' in the liberation of France.

Born in Birkenhead, Robert joined the King’s Regiment after being in the building trade for around two to three years when he was 18.

Robert, 93, told the Globe: “I landed in Normandy on June 6, 1944 and we sailed there by landing craft we loaded up in Portsmouth and sailed over in the night in the rain with no shelter - just on the open deck.

“We landed at 6am and had to jump into the sea fully clothed and we had a lot of equipment on us – bombs, bullets you name it.

“We had no sleep and just had water to drink all night, we didn’t eat anything until the evening. I was hungry all day.

“We were supposed to carry two bandoliers of 50 rounds of ammunition and they said ‘take as much as you can because you’re going to need them over there’.

“I carried three bandoliers around my body, one smoke bomb and two hand grenades – they were on my chest.

“Everyone had a landmine, helmet, rifle, bayonets you name it.

“Do you know, it didn’t worry me D-Day because we enjoyed the blitz – we used to sit out and watch the bombings at home and never went in the air raid shelters.”

A copy of the letter Robert was sent regarding his legion d'honneur

“My friend Johnny wanted to join but his mum said ‘no you’re not’ so he went over to Ireland on holiday and when he was over there he joined the army. We met in the army in the Kings regiment and went together.

“We served together until I got landed.”

Robert was injured by a bomb while he was helping move injured soldiers from the battlefield.

Shrapnel left him with six missing teeth, damage to his nose and resulted in a loss of hearing.

However, despite the odds Robert became a sergeant.

“My brother was two years older than me and he was only a private – he was a driver you see and I joined the infantry.

“I was a good soldier I moved from private, lance corporal, corporal to then sergeant.

“My brother’s wife wrote to him actually and said your brother is two years younger than you and he’s a sergeant – what are you doing?

“I was in France on 6 June all the way up to when I ended up in Hamburg, Germany.

“I was sergeant in charge of Hamburg town guard room for about 22 or 23 of them.”

A portrait of Robert aged 18 during WWII

After the war Robert went back into the building industry before retiring at Cadbury’s.

On receiving his Legion d’Honneur Robert said: “I feel delighted to finally get it from the French I’m very proud.

“I went over to France and people were amazing people would stop in the street and say thank you, they’d be sitting outside in the café and shout over and say thank you.

“They don’t even do that over there, we were going down the street and the crowd parted and they clapped me.

“They also paid for everything, they wouldn’t ask for money from you. So for them to award something like this is amazing. I’m very proud of being involved in the war.”