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Ken Hay, a 101-year-old veteran from Upminster in East London who served in the Normandy invasion and was later awarded an MBE and France’s Legion d’Honneur, died recently. The British Normandy Memorial organization announced his passing and highlighted Hay’s dedication to educating schoolchildren about his wartime experiences. Known as “Grandad Ken” by students, he frequently visited schools to share stories of courage and resilience from World War II, emphasizing the importance of love in preventing future conflicts.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Ken Hay, an 101-year-old veteran who served in the 4th Dorset infantry regiment, passed away recently after being an ambassador for the British Normandy Memorial. Hay landed at Courseulles-sur-Mer days after the Allied invasion of Normandy and participated in a night patrol that led to his capture by German forces. Out of 30 men who went on the mission, only 16 returned, with five being captured and nine presumed killed.
The British Normandy Memorial highlighted Hay's dedication to education and remembrance, noting he was fondly called "Grandad Ken" by schoolchildren. He received an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) and a Leg d’Hon for his service. His sons, Chris and Jeremy, along with other family members and friends, were mentioned in the statement.
Hay’s experiences included being marched over 1,000 miles as prisoners by Russian forces during World War II. The memorial organization expressed sincere condolences to Hay's family and friends, emphasizing his significant contributions to sharing stories of courage and resilience.
Written for “Normandy Veteran Dies Aged 101” on 2026-10-10,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
His death was announced on Sunday by the British Normandy Memorial, for which he was an ambassador.
asserted
he → announce → which
“His passion for education was unwavering,” the organisation said in a statement on social media.
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organisation → say → media
“The countless schoolchildren whose lives he touched with his stories of courage and resilience nicknamed him ‘Grandad Ken’.
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he → touch → him
“We extend our most sincere condolences to Ken’s sons Chris and Jeremy, all the Hay family and his very many friends.
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We → extend → sons
An extraordinary gentleman whose remarkable life will never be forgotten.”
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life → forget → ?
Mr Hay, from Upminster in East London, served in the 4th Dorset infantry regiment and landed at Courseulles-sur-Mer days after the Allied invasion of Normandy.
“We went out on night patrol, was supposed to be doing a blow up of a self-propelled gun in no man’s land, but in fact, it was behind their lines,” Mr Hay said.
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Hay → serve → lines
“So they let us through and then very unfriendly, they sealed it and wouldn’t let us back, so we had a battle.
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we → let → battle
“We had 30 went out on our patrol, 16 including my brother, who was a corporal, got back, five of us got captured and then presumably nine got killed.”
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nine → go → us
As the Russians approached, the prisoners were marched to a new location, approximately 1,000 miles away, during which many of them died.
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many → approach → them
During the three-month march, Mr Hay said he once “lay down to die” after it became too painful to continue, but two friends turned back for him and lifted him with an “arm around each shoulder”.
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friends → say → shoulder
Read More
Eventually they were liberated by American troops and Mr Hay returned to the UK, via Reims, on May 4 1945.
Recalling the moment he made it to his mother’s house in Barking, he said: “They came running down the road to greet me.
uncertain
They → read → me
“They were having breakfast, I’d had breakfast with the Army, so I just had a cup of tea with them and we all went off to mass.
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we → have → mass
“I’m a Catholic, and we all went off to mass and I was home in time for VE Day on the 8th of May.”
uncertain
I → ’m → May
After the war, he was appointed an MBE for services to the community and received the Legion d’Honneur, France’s highest order of merit.
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he → appoint → merit
Mr Hay regularly visited British schools to share stories of the war and answer questions, saying he believed it was his “duty to pass it on”.
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it → visit → it
Earlier this year, he attended a remembrance service at the General Montgomery monument in Colleville-Montgomery with fellow Second World War veteran Henry Rice as part of commemorations marking the 82nd anniversary of D-Day.
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he → attend → Day
Recalling one of his school visits, Mr Hay said he had been asked by a 13-year-old girl how wars could be stopped.
uncertain
wars → recall → girl
He said: “I was stumped.
asserted
I → say → ?
How do you stop wars?
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you → stop → wars
And then Saint Paul came to my rescue…
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Paul → come → rescue
I said to her, ‘Love.
asserted
I → say → her
Love yourself, your friends, your family at home, the people you met today, the people you met yesterday’.
asserted
you → love → home
“If we could all do that, there’d be no wars.”
uncertain
we → do → that
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