TWO Second World War veterans have been honoured for their part in the liberation of France - 70 years after they took part in the Battle of Normandy.

Former Flt Lt Derek Lovell from Devizes, who flew Hawker Typhoons, and Major Alan Graham from Kepnal near Pewsey, who was 19 when his parachute landed in Ranville, Normandy, on the eve of D-Day, have both received the Legion d'Honneur from the French government.

Mr Lovell, 93, of The Breach, was one of seven RAF veterans to receive France's top award at a ceremony at the Jet Age Museum at Staverton in Gloucestershire.

He volunteered for the RAFVR in January 1921 and first trained in Canada on Tiger Moths and Oxfords. He received his wings in 1942 and after a number of postings he joined 197 Squadron at Needs Oar Point in the New Forest in June, 1944, to fly Typhoons.

He was involved in the Normandy campaign and continued to fly until VE day.

He said: "I was very lucky. I was never shot down and only received damage to my aircraft once and even then it was a rifle bullet and I wasn't aware of the damage until I got safely back."

Mr Lovell, who is married with two daughters and three grandchildren, moved to Wiltshire in 1984 and settled in Box where he became chairman of the parish council.

He and his wife Joan moved to Devizes 12 years ago but he will return to Box for the village's remembrance service on Sunday.

While 91-year-old Maj Graham received his knight (Chevalier) ranking of the medal in the post last week. “He’s been waiting for this for a long time,” his wife Mary, 87, said.

Maj Graham, who has a daughter Patsy, also returned to Normandy last year to mark the anniversary of the Allied invasion where he was given a warm welcome from villagers who thanked him for saving their country.

He was 19 when his unit, 3 Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers, 6th Airborne Division, landed in a field in Ranville, Normandy, on the eve of D-Day. They were tasked with blowing up five bridges along the River Dives to prevent a German armoured assault of the eastern flank of the invasion area.

Major Graham began training for adult service when he was 17 and was posted to a unit in Dorset before volunteering for airborne duties in 1943.

After parachute training, he was posted to Bulford Military Camp and in 1944 he began specialising in bridge demolition.

He said: “After waiting for so long it is nice to finally get it. 18 months ago the British secretary of defence sent a letter to say they would be awarding the medals.”

In the letter he was sent from the embassy of France in London it thanks Maj Graham for being a hero.