‘Larger than life’ D-Day veteran George Chandler dies at the age of 99

A D-Day veteran who accompanied US forces as a torpedo boat gunner has died at the age of 99.

George Chandler, from Burgess Hill, West Sussex, who lost his sight late in life, is said to have led the Blind Veterans UK contingent at the Cenotaph in London on Remembrance Sunday, along with his granddaughters Lucy Tucknott, 31, and Faye West, 28 .

The charity has invited them to join them in marching in memory of their grandfather.

At the age of 19, he served in the 59th Fleet on June 6, 1944, to guide the U.S. Army’s attack on the beaches of Omaha and Utah.

Ahead of the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Mr Chandler told the PA news agency: “Let me assure you that what you read in those crazy books written about D-Day is absolute nonsense, it’s a load of old nonsense .

“I was there, how can I forget that? It’s a very sad memory because I saw young American Rangers, not shot, but slaughtered.

Speaking to Blind Veterans UK, he added: “At 4am as the sun rose there were boats and ships as far as you could see. Absolutely wonderful.

“We looked at all the planes coming over and the sea was covered from horizon to horizon with ships of all shapes and sizes.”

He said: “Unfortunately, due to a navigational error, the Americans landed a mile and a half too far west and were massacred as they entered.

“Half of them didn’t have time to get off their attack craft. It was something I wouldn’t want anyone to see. Very brave men.

“I will never forget the sight of seeing those brave young men fight and die as they struggled to get off the beach.”

For about three months without a break, Mr Chandler’s fleet returned to Newhaven every night to refuel and rearm and get a few hours’ sleep before returning across the Channel.

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

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

“The oldest man on the ship was 29. I see him now standing and saying, ‘Don’t panic guys, we’re all leaving’. I never saw him again.

“The saddest thing about it was that three weeks earlier his wife had given birth to a little girl in England. He never saw her.

“I look back and think of the 19 good shipmates of mine who are now at the bottom of the Adriatic Sea. They went down with the boat when it hit the mine.

‘There are still many people who think war is fun. There is no pleasure in war. There is no pleasure in war at all.”

After the war, George worked for the General Post Office and then BT, before retiring 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 spokesperson for Blind Veterans UK, which supported Mr Chandler, said a private family funeral had been planned.

He said the family were “very proud of George and will miss him very much” and added that Mr Chandler had always “wanted to be thrown overboard at sea rather than have a funeral”.

The spokesperson said: “Our sincere condolences go out to George’s son Paul and all his family and friends.

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

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

“George was a larger-than-life figure who brought so much joy to all who met him.

“We are proud to have been able to support him in his adjustment to life with sight loss.”