D-Day veteran explains his 'great escape' to Normandy memorials
A D-Day veteran fast approaching 90 has spoken to Good Morning Britain about his intrepid journey across the Channel to attend 70th anniversary of the epic battle.
Bernard Jordan was unable to get on any organised trips to the Normandy beaches, where the fallen were remembered by heads of state and veterans, so took off on his own instead.
He admitted to being "naughty" and "secretive" because he did not tell the nursing home what he was planning to do, but felt he had to go once he started to see TV coverage of the memorials.
Hiding his medals under his coat, Bernard snuck out of The Pines retirement home to once again make his way to the beeches of Normandy.
Determined to attend, he walked to Brighton railway station, boarded a train for Portsmouth Harbour and bought a one-way Brittany Ferries ticket to Caen, Normandy.
He did not need to worry about security - despite lacking any accreditation whatsoever he strolled into the main arena, only 100 yards away from where the Queen would sit, alongside Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin, and took a seat.
However, he got fed up waiting for the dignitaries and so he made his own way back to a cafe nearby, where he had beer while waiting for the memorial services to start.