World War II D-Day veteran Henry Rice dies at age 100
Henry Rice, a 100-year-old Royal Navy signalman who landed on D-Day, has died, leaving only a few surviving veterans.
Royal Navy signalman Henry Rice, a centenarian who helped ferry troops on HMS Eastway to the Normandy beaches on D-Day, died at age 100. He had recently visited Sword Beach for the 82nd anniversary, joining the few remaining veterans such as Ken Hay, who died the previous month. Though France awarded him the Legion of Honour, Rice repeatedly rejected the title of hero, emphasizing the bravery of the infantry who stormed the beaches.
Born in Battersea, he joined the Navy in 1943, later worked for the Orient Shipping Line and Cunard, and married Gwen in 1951. He later served in the fire service, notably responding to a 1974 IRA bomb attack on a Guildford pub. His passing marks the loss of one of the last living links to the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France.
Why it matters
His death highlights the fading living memory of the D-Day invasion and its veterans.
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