D-Day veteran receives his BEM medal for wartime service and commitment to education

· Forces News
The 101-year-old veteran attended a presentation at the Tower of London (Picture: PA)
And was greeted by John Donald, Chief Yeoman Warder and Yeoman Gaoler, after receiving his British Empire Medal (Picture: PA)
Mr Kersh's previously awarded medals for his services throughout the war (Picture: PA)
An ambassador for the British Normandy Memorial, he was given his honour in recognition of his school talks on Holocaust remembrance and his wartime service (Picture: PA)

A D-Day veteran who was featured in the King's Honours list in recognition of his wartime service and commitment to education has received his prestigious medals.

Mervyn Kersh, 101, now a recipient of the British Empire Medal (BEM), landed on Gold Beach in Normandy at just 19 years old, arriving three days after the initial D-Day landings in June 1944. He served as a technical clerk for the Royal Ordnance Corps, and played a vital role in organising vehicle support.

He would later be stationed near the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp when it was liberated by British soldiers in April 1945.

An ambassador for the British Normandy Memorial, Mr Kersh has dedicated much of his life to education and remembrance, particularly in Holocaust commemoration, where he has shared his personal reflections at schools around the country, ensuring that future generations understand the toils of war and the importance of stamping out intolerance and hatred.

When it was announced earlier last year that he would be receiving the medal, he said being recognised by his own country was a "wonderful thing", likening the award to France's Legion d'Honneur, an award he also received in recognition of his service during the liberation of France.

However, he described Britain today as "disappointing", citing rising antisemitism, and warned the country risks repeating the mistakes that were made before the outbreak of the Second World War.