D-Day veteran Harry Billinge dies aged 96, his family says

D-Day veteran Harry Billinge has died aged 96 after a short illness, his family has said.

The former Royal Engineer was just 18 when he was one of the first British soldiers to land on Gold Beach in 1944.

His daughter Sally Billinge-Shandley told the PA news agency: “He was a man that always gave his word, his word was solid. He always fought in what he believed in.

“The passion he had for all the veterans that lost their lives was unwavering.”