The daughter of a Weymouth D-Day veteran made an emotional return to Dorset to pay tribute to her late father.
Penny Ann McFarlane (née Stone) and husband Stuart visited the Castletown D-Day Centre as part of a mini-break to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary with their two daughters and grandchildren.
The centre has a special display to honour Sapper Lieutenant John Stone, from Preston, who played a key role in the D-Day Landings.
In its period tearoom, his original uniform is on display as well as a record of his wartime experience as one of the mine experts dispatched to examine the beach defences in Normandy.
Penny said: “Dad was a shy man and never wanted to talk about his wartime experience, but he was instrumental in the timing of D-Day. He was a real hero.
“It was particularly poignant for our grandchildren to visit, especially the older two, as they are learning about the Second World War at school.”
In pitch-black darkness, Lt. John and his team found anti-tank mines attached to wooden poles that would have destroyed Allied landing crafts in horrific numbers.
On returning to England, the team briefed Field Marshall Montgomery with their discovery - which confirmed the landings taking place at rising tide to avoid the mines.
For his ‘exemplary gallantry’, John was awarded the prestigious Military Cross by Field Marshall Montgomery, later receiving a congratulatory telegram from Winston Churchill.
Lieutenant John Stone died in 2012 aged 89 but his story lives on through his family.
Steve Cleaver, manager at the D-Day Castletown, said: “It was a privilege to see the young members of the Stone family learn about their great-grandfather the war hero.
“We have been fortunate enough to have visits from several World War Two veterans and their families this year, so to meeting the Stone family was a real highlight.”
The Castletown D-Day Centre tells of Portland’s pivotal role in perhaps the most decisive battle in modern history.
The centre has an authentic recreation of a wartime dockyard where visitors have the unique opportunity to get ‘hands-on’ with history.
It includes an array of authentic WW2 artefacts and vehicles, including a full-size replica Spitfire, a Bofors 40mm gun, a restored Sherman tank and interactive audio-visual displays, tank tours and a D-Day bunker.
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