A FORMER merchant seaman who took part in the D Day landings has been awarded the Legion d'Honneur.

John Ronald Murray was presented with France's highest honour by the Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland to mark his endeavours during the Second World War.

The 93-year-old, known as Ron to his friends, spent much of the war delivering high octane fuel to RAF planes, including at Malta which was very heavily bombed, and supplying the British Army in North Africa.

As a teenage sailor, he served around the world and one of the ships he was serving on was torpedoed in the Atlantic 1941 while heading to the USA to collect war supplies.

The former Merchant Navy Second Officer was previously awarded five medals for his service, which included a period from June 1944 when Allied forces invaded northern France and began liberating the country from the Nazis.

Originally from the Northumberland, he met his future wife, Mary, at dance at the Swan Hotel in Redcar on a weekend off, while visiting a friend not long before D Day. Six months later they were engaged and they married in April 1945.

The couple, who have been married for 71 years, have three sons – Jeff, who lives in Brotton, Alan who lives in the USA and Brian who lives in Loftus. They have ten grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Mr Murray has lost much of sight in recent years and was persuaded to allow the Blind Veterans Association to apply on his behalf.

His son, Jeff, said: “We’re all extremely proud of dad. It must have been terrifying what he went through and he was so young, but in those days people just go on with it. Everyone who ever meets my dad says what a lovely man he is. A real gentleman. He’s modest and had to be persuaded to get the medal but he deserves it.”

Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland, Councillor Barry Hunt, knew Mr and Mrs Murray as a child living in Muriel Street in Redcar.

He said: “It’s always an honour to meet anyone who has served in our military, especially those from our greatest generation who served in the Second World War.

“It’s also wonderful to be able to present Mr Murray with the Legion d’Honneur in the Mayor’s parlour to pass on just a little bit of the regard I know everyone has for what he and his comrades did in the war."