Posthumous French honour for Reepham war veteran

Harold George Reeve, who died last year aged 102 years, has been made a Chevalier of the Ordre National de la Légion d’honneur.
 

Alan Reeve with the letter from the French government and Légion d’honneur, which was awarded to the late Harold Reeve, who is shown in the photo (right) with his wife Stella. Photo: John Tym

 
Born in Whitwell Street and living most of his life in Reepham, Mr Reeve was conscripted into the 7th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment during the Second World War.
 
After training in Sherwood Forest and postings to Northern Ireland and the north Norfolk coast, his unit was assigned to be part of the second wave to land on the Normandy beaches after D-Day.
 
The battalion took heavy casualties, but fought its way across the French countryside until running out of ammunition and being captured in the Falaise Pocket during the breakout in August 1944.
 
Some seven decades later the French government announced that all who took part in the liberation of France could apply for France’s highest military honour.
 
Mr Reeve asked the Reepham branch of the Royal British Legion to pass his details to the Ministry of Defence for referral to the French. More than 3,000 service personnel still qualified so the administration took some time to complete.
 
Although Mr Reeve died in August 2015, the award was made in March, and the medal and letter of congratulation were sent via the French embassy in London and received at the Reeve family home in Reepham by his son Alan.
 
With great pride Alan immediately took both to Harold’s grave in Whitwell Road cemetery and read the letter to him.
 

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