Celebrating VE Day in the North East
War hero Gordon Hornsby, 95: ‘It’s important that we always remember what happened’
THE flags will be out for war hero Gordon Hornsby as he celebrates the 75th VE Day anniversary.
Never forgetting those who fought for their country, Gordon will be made a fuss of at the care home he now lives in.
The 95-year-old, who was born in Scotswood, Newcastle, but moved to North Shields, was an ambulance driver with the Royal Army Service Corps.
On D-Day, he was charged with transporting water for the troops as well as checking wells and other sites to make sure the water there wasn’t poisoned.
Up until 2016 Gordon was the chairman of the Newcastle and District branch of the Normandy Veterans Association, before moving to Rosemount Care Home in Monkseaton, Whitley Bay.
And big-hearted care worker Dawn Woods and her colleagues will be making VE Day extra special in honour of Gordon.
“There aren’t many of these guys around so it is important that we celebrate this day with Gordon,” said Dawn.
Dressed in his smart blazer and wearing his medals, Gordon will be taken out on to the patio to overlook the car park where he will be able to see special guests Councillor Gary Bell and Rev Canon Glyn Evans, who in 2016
held a service at St Andrew’s Church, on Newgate Street, Newcastle, to honour last remaining D-Day heroes, which included Gordon.
Dawn added: “We tried to get someone from the British Legion to come along to honour Gordon but because of the coronavirus lockdown that simply couldn’t happen.
“But we have got Councillor Gary Bell and hopefully Rev Canon Glyn Evans, who will stand in the car park to honour Gordon.
“We will be having a tea party and playing war songs. It is important that he is recognised.”
Gordon was awarded a number of medals for his war efforts and still proudly displays them in his room at the care home. He was given the l’Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur by the President of France and received a letter from the Queen in June 2009 saying he had unrestricted permission to wear it.
After leaving the Army, Gordon ran a newsagents in
Whitley Bay. He met his wife Irene who worked in a bookshop and they married in 1953. They did not have any family and Irene died in 1976 suffering problems with her breathing. Gordon, who is now deaf, said previously: “We landed on the beaches around three hours after the start of the invasion. I had just turned 20 when we landed in Normandy.
“I took 250 gallons of water in a tank, and then I was told to go on a hygiene course where we learnt how to test water. We had to make sure that water over there was OK to drink and was not poisoned. We used chemicals and there were around eight tests altogether. It was quite a skilled job.”
For many years, Gordon returned to France to mark the D-Day anniversary and honour comrades who fell during the 1944 invasion. He added: “It’s important that we always remember what happened, many people lost their lives.”