A D-DAY soldier who survived being blown up by a mine and was left drifting at sea for days, was today one of four veterans from the Bradford district to receive France's highest honour The Légion d’Honneur.

The four were among 12 Normandy veterans from across the Yorkshire region who were at a poignant ceremony with their proud families and friends at the The Allied Air Forces Memorial & Yorkshire Air Museum near York to honour surviving servicemen.

Geoffrey Noble, 91, of Bolehill Park, Brighouse, who was a wireman on a Royal Navy Tank Landing Craft which was part of the 51st flotilla of assault force G2 landing on Gold Beach, at 7.25am on June 6, 1944.

Shortly after landing the cargo of troops and equipment on the beach, his craft hit a mine which immobilised the engine and left him and the other crew drifting off the French coast for several days before being towed back to safety by an American destroyer.

He made a further 11 trips ferrying troops and tanks to the US beaches serving on another two landing craft until the end of the war.

Another veteran to receive the honour was 93-year-old Austin Byrne, of Southlands Grove, Thornton, who was a Royal Navy gunner on the merchant ship FortMcMurray carrying troops and supplies to the French beaches.

Mr Byrne, who had worked at Drummonds Mill in Manningham before signing up, has also been hailed for his bravery on the treacherous Arctic convoys during the Second World War and appeared in a BBC documentary last year featuring in two episodes of the four-part Britain's Greatest Generation' screened on BBC2 marking the seven decades since VE Day.

Mr Byrne survived and cared for wounded colleagues for four days in a lifeboat after his ship - the Induna - was torpedoed by a German U-boat on March 30, 1942.

Geoffrey Lawrence, of Hodgson Lane, Drighlington, was a private and infantry man with the 7th Battalion of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in Normandy from June 1944 until he was severely wounded by machine gun fire during a silent attack on German frontline positions bear St Syvain on August 10, 1944. After he recovered from his wounds he was transferred to serve in the Royal Army Corps.

Jack Holstead, of Greencroft Avenue, Northowram, also received The Legion d'Honneur. He was an Able Seaman aboard HMS Kingsmillour off Gold Beach which was one of the command ships and was responsible for protecting ships anchored in a secure area until the end of June 1944.

The military event was attended by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant North Yorkshire Brigadier Nigel Wood, Commodore Gary Doyle RN Regional Commander North of England and representatives from RAF Linton-on-Ouse and RAF Leeming.

The Légion d’Honneur was formally presented on behalf of the President of France by the French Consul Jeremy Burton, Contre Amiral Patrick Chevallereau the French Defence Attaché to the United Kingdom and Colonel Patrice Morand, Air Attaché.