His daughter said that among his last words was “to love one another”. The former Royal Engineer was just 18 years old when he landed at Gold Beach at 6.30am on June 6, 1944 as part of the first wave of troops. He was a sack attached to the 44 Royal Engineer Commandos and was one of only four survivors of his unit. Mr. Billinge later fought in Caen and the Falaise pocket in Normandy, and continued to dedicate his life to remembering friends who never got home. Read more: D-Day – the story of the 24 hours that changed the world Image: The Normandy landing on D-Day, June 6, 1944 “Fight for what you believe” Sally Billinge-Shandley’s daughter said: “He was a man who always gave his word, his speech was consistent. He always fought for what he believed in. “His passion for all the veterans who lost their lives was unwavering. “How he dedicated his life to ensuring that he will never be forgotten, that way he will be remembered. “The monument to the Normandy veterans became part of it, it was just a huge part of his life. Some of his last words were “you love each other”. Picture: More than 150,000 Allied troops landed on Day D. Tributes to a person dedicated to helping others Mr Billinge, who grew up in Petts Wood, Kent but lived in Cornwall for 70 years, became an MBE in 2019 for a charity fundraiser after raising more than 50 50,000 for veterans. He dedicated it to the 22,442 employees who were killed on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy. It was in Cornwall that he founded the store as a barber and became president of the local clubs for the Royal British Legion (RBL) and the Royal Engineers. He has also made annual pilgrimages to Normandy cemeteries and raised donations for the RBL Poppy Appeal for more than 60 years, as well as raising funds for the British Normandy Monument. Listen to the daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker The British Normandy Trust posted a tribute to Mr Billinge on Twitter. “The Trust sends its deepest condolences to Harry’s wife, Sila, and to all his family and friends,” he said. “Harry raised more than 50 50,000 for the Monument.” The Great Western Railway, which named one of its trains after the veteran in October 2020, also paid tribute. “The Intercity Express Train 802006 offers a lasting tribute to Harry and to the thousands of lives lost during his landings in Normandy in 1944,” said CEO Mark Hopwood. Image: Mr. Billinge was awarded an MBE in 2019 Billinge was survived by his wife Shelia, two daughters Sally and Margot, his son Christopher and granddaughters Amy and Claire. Mr. and Mrs. Billinge were to celebrate their 68th wedding anniversary this August.
