D-Day veteran “Larger than life” George Chandler has died at the age of 99

A D-Day veteran who served as a torpedo gunner escorting American forces has died at the age of 99.

George Chandler, from Burgess Hill, West Sussex, who lost his sight later in life, was due to lead the Blind Veterans of Great Britain contingent at the Cenotaph in London on Remembrance Sunday along with his granddaughters Lucy Tucknott (31) and Faye West (28).

The charity invited them to march together in memory of their grandfather.

At age 19, he served with the 59th Flotilla on June 6, 1944, escorting a U.S. Army attack on Omaha and Utah beaches.

Ahead of the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Chandler told the PA news agency: ‘I assure you that what you read in those stupid books that have been written about D-Day is absolute nonsense, it’s a load of old rubbish.

“I was there, how can I forget it? It’s a very sad memory, because I watched young American Rangers, not at them being shot, but murdered.

He added to Blind Veterans UK: “At 4am when the sun came up, there were boats and ships as far as the eye could see. Absolutely amazing.

“We watched all the planes fly by and the sea was covered from horizon to horizon with ships of all shapes and sizes.”

He said: “Unfortunately, due to a navigation error, the Americans landed one and a half miles too far west and were wiped out upon entry.

“Half of them didn’t have time to leave the attack ship. It was something I wouldn’t want anyone to see. Very brave men.

“I will never forget seeing these brave young men fighting and dying trying to get off the beach.”

For about three months straight, Mr. Chandler’s flotilla returned to Newhaven each night to refuel, rearm and get a few hours’ sleep before returning across the English Channel.

After the Normandy campaign, his boat was sent to the Mediterranean Sea, where it suffered damage before being sunk in April 1945.

He said: “I think the saddest thing that happened to me during my naval career was that we were sunk. We hit a mine which blew off the bow of the boat. Nineteen of the 31 crew members on board were killed.

“The oldest man on the ship was 29 years old. I can see him standing there saying, ‘Don’t panic, guys, we’ll all get out.’ I never saw him again.

“The saddest thing was that his wife had given birth to a daughter three weeks earlier in England. He’s never seen her.

“I look back and think of my 19 good comrades who now lie at the bottom of the Adriatic Sea. They drowned together with the boat, which hit a mine.

“There are still many people who think war is fun. There’s no fun in war. There is no fun in war at all.

After the war, George worked at the General Post Office and then at BT until his retirement in the 1980s, which gave him more time to enjoy his true passion: golf. He was an honorary life member of Haywards Heath Golf Club.

A spokesman for Blind Veterans UK, which supported Chandler, said a private family funeral was planned.

He said the family was “very proud of George and will miss him greatly,” adding that Chandler always wanted him to be thrown overboard “instead of having a funeral.”

A spokesman said: “We offer our heartfelt condolences to George’s son Paul and all his family and friends.

“George was the guest of honor at our special D-Day anniversary dinner this June, 80 years after the invasion of Normandy.

“He shared with us his powerful memories of this historic day and everyone in the room was enthralled by his stories.

“George was an extraordinary character who brought great joy to all who met him.

“We are proud that we could support him in the process of adapting to life with vision loss.”