A D-DAY veteran who died last year is finally being honoured for his efforts after his family received France's highest military honour.

Darlington resident Ralph Johnson will be commended for his bravery at the Normandy D-Day landings in 1944 with a Legion d’Honneur medal during the Festival of Remembrance Concert at Durham Cathedral on Saturday, November 7.

The medals will be presented to a number of North-East veterans by Andrew Robinson, the honorary French Consul for the North East and Cumbria.

Mr Johnson, who died in October 2014 aged 97, joined the Royal Navy as a 22-year-old and served for four years during the Second World War.

Sadly his only child Ann Clough will miss the ceremony on Saturday as she will be in London, but she expressed her delight at receiving the medal.

She said: "He would have been so proud to have received it. He loved to wear his medals on special occasions. I'm so pleased we've got the medal, it's just a shame that it wasn't awarded earlier."

Mr Johnson, whose Navy career saw him posted in locations all around the world, including Sri Lanka and Scotland, returned to civilian life after the War and worked for a water board until he retired.

Ms Clough, 70, said: "He didn't talk about the war very much with us. He must have had horrific memories; not a lot of good came out of the war really.

"They all suffered so much there, it wasn't a pleasant experience to talk about.

"But he made a lot of nice friends who he did talk about it with. They still kept in touch and sent Christmas cards and letters."

Mr Johnson, who was brought up on North Road, Darlington, met his wife Edith at a chapel on North Road and married her after the War in September 9, 1944 .

Ms Clough explained: "In his younger life before he and my mum were married they used to go North Road chapel and met up with his peers from the Navy.

"They used to meet and go for walks and play badminton. My parents didn't have a lot of money but they had a nice life."

Mr and Mrs Johnson remained together for 72 years and had Ms Clough, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, one of whom was named Ralph Smith after Mr Johnson.

Ms Clough, a Darlington resident, said: "My dad was a lovely guy. I saw him most days. My mum died in 2010 and my husband died in the same year which brought us very close together.

"He liked to be with his family, and it was amazing that he managed to live in his own home at 97. I just remember that he was at a group meeting on Friday and died on the Saturday.

"At least he had a long and happy life, he wasn't in hospital and he didn't suffer."