Tributes paid to 'brave' Bridlington man who was one of the last remaining Normandy veterans

Peter Edward English was born in Beeston, Leeds on March 22, 1925 to Edward and Kathleen.

Mr English’s short lived career as a clerk for Leeds Education Authority was interrupted in May 1943, when he joined the Norfolk Yeomanry 65th Anti Tank Regiment as a driver and operator.

He was among those brave souls in World War Two who landed on Gold Beach in Normandy, pushing onwards to liberate France, Belgium and Holland.

Mr English was always modest when describing his involvement on D-Day. According to the BBC, he told a local Newspaper at the time: “It was a very difficult time, but I was not involved in any death or glory incidents, I just remember being shouted at and told to keep my head down”.

Mr English then progressed to the Interpreters Pool of the British Army on the Rhine based in Germany, where he finished his military career as a Warrant Officer in 1947.

In 1949 Peter travelled to Ghana as a Cocoa buyer for Cadbury, where he remained for three years until a severe case of Malaria forced him to return to England.

Mr English visited Scarborough in 1952 and while dancing at Scarborough Spa he met Brenda Travis. The couple married in 1954 and were married for 66 years.

After their marriage, the couple moved to Huddersfield where their daughter Joy was born, followed a few years later by Andrew.

Following a promotion with Cadbury the family moved to Derbyshire which is where Mr English's son Mark was born.

Mr English purchased a static caravan on South Shore, where his long standing love affair with Bridlington began.

Joy and Andrew have fond memories of visiting Bridlington and their love of the seaside town has been passed on to their children and grandchildren. Furthermore, Mark and his family still reside in the town.

In 1974 Mr English took his wife and son Mark to Nigeria where they remained for three years, moving on to Malaysia for a further two, before moving back to the UK.

After returning to his home country, Mr English took early retirement and moved to his much loved holiday destination Bridlington.

The couple set up home in a bungalow overlooking the Belvedere Golf Club, as both Mr and Mrs English were keen golfers. Mr English even went on to found EGGS (Elderly Gentleman’s Golf Section) at the club.

In his later years, Mr English enjoyed several visits to Normandy with the Hull Veterans and was immensely proud to wear his medals, especially the Legion d’honneur.

Towards the end of his life, Mr English took on the role of carer, as his wife Brenda was diagnosed with Dementia. Brenda was admitted to a care home, and passed away in 2020.

Joy Harrison, Mr English’s daughter, said: “Courage manifests itself in many forms and in no doubt is our father's bravery when storming the Normandy beaches.

“However, the last decade of our father's life has been fraught with heartbreak and has tested his courage in a number of ways.

“After our mother's stroke, my father stepped up to care for her and learned to cook, clean and run the house, all the while struggling to deal with her advancing dementia. He cared for her without complaint and visited her daily without fail, when she was eventually admitted to a care home.”

Following a fall, Mr English was also admitted to a care home in Bridlington.

Soon after he was diagnosed with a terminal illness and within months he became bedridden. However, the ever changing view of the sea from his care home window brought him pleasure in his final 15 months.

Joy said: “During this difficult time, no matter what challenges were thrown at our father, he remained a true gentleman and kept his pride and his dignity to the end.

“He never lost his sense of humour and never once complained.

“In our eyes, this is the true mark of a hero.”

Besides his children, Mr English is survived by six grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Mr English's funeral was held on January 4 at East Riding Crematorium, Octon and included The Last Post and a minute’s silence.