NORMANDY veteran Dr Norman Rose has received France’s highest honour - the Legion d’honneur.

The 90-year-old, who lives in Brecon, stormed the beaches of northern France as an 18-year-old in June 1944 when he was one of the youngest lieutenants in the Royal Marines on D-Day.

French president Francois Hollande pledged during the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in June 2014 to honour all British and Commonwealth veterans who had served in France during World War II.

Norman, who returns to France every year to remember those who fell, including 250 of the 420 men in his Commando, was presented with his medal before he made the emotional return journey earlier this month.

"It is a privilege and an honour to receive it, it’s a lovely medal far and away the best medal I’ve got," said Norman, who has a number of medals having also seen action during the 1943 invasion of Italy.

While Norman is grateful for the official recognition from the French government, he has also experienced at first hand, during his annual pilgrimage to Port en Bessin in Normandy, the affection of the French people for the liberation forces.

"I go every year and it is a very big occasion. The local people are wonderful to us, they don’t let you buy anything or if you order a glass of beer someone will insist on paying for it, and I let them."

On D-Day Norman landed east of Port en Bessin, at Sword Beach, at midday and had to trek six miles inland to attack the port - defended by 4,000 Nazis - eventually taking it the following day.

"When I landed at D-Day we had to reach Port en Bessin to take it from the rear and went for 12 miles almost entirely on the stomach, if you stood up you were dead. I also went from Sicily to Rome on my stomach."

The war ended for Norman on November 1, 1944 on the Dutch island of Walcheren when he badly injured his leg - and he still bears the scar on his right knee.

But retired nuclear physicist Norman, who celebrated his 80th birthday by travelling by train from Newport, Gwent to Japan, remains active and takes pride in his good health.

He said: "I can still stand upright with no stick and I walk several miles.

"When I injured my knee I couldn’t walk for several months but the thing that puffs me out with pride is I still have all my own teeth."

During the most recent D-Day commemoration Norman was chosen to lay the official wreath at the Bayeux Cemetery.

Lord Lieutenant of Powys, Shan Legge-Bourke, asked if she could present Norman with the medal and held the small ceremony at her Glanusk Estate home.

As well as receiving the Legion d’honneur Norman and wife Daphne were invited to attend a Buckingham Palace garden party in May.

"The Queen deputised Princess Beatrice to look after me and she was superb, entertaining and friendly. She asked all the right questions," said Norman, who had also served on HMS Valiant alongside the future Prince Philip.

Norman has also been invited by 45 Commando to talk to trainee officers in the Royal Marines commando unit based at Arbroath in Scotland.