D-Day Veteran Dies at 100 After Celebrating Centenary

A D-Day landings veteran, who recently marked his centenary, has passed away. Lieutenant Richard Willis, a resident of Wellington in Somerset, was 20 years old when he served as second-in-command aboard a landing craft at Utah Beach. His role involved transporting American tanks and soldiers to Normandy as part of Operation Overlord. During the 80th anniversary commemoration of D-Day, he characterized his experience as “real and frightening.” Ted Allen, the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset, expressed his sorrow upon learning of Mr. Willis’s death in September, referring to him as a “remarkable man.” Earlier this year, at a surprise birthday celebration, Mr. Allen presented Mr. Willis with a birthday card from the King. “I will never forget meeting him and his family,” Mr. Allen stated. He added, “This is terribly sad news. I am so pleased we could in some way mark a huge milestone in the life of this remarkable man.” The Lieutenancy arranged for Mr. Willis to receive a D-Day chart detailing the Utah Beach landings, which had been prepared by the UK Hydrographic Office. This chart, formerly classified as Top Secret, bore the inscription: “Presented to Lt Richard Willis… on the occasion of his 100th birthday. With the thanks and admiration of the Lord-Lieutenant and the people of Somerset.” In an interview with the BBC in June, Mr. Willis recounted that during the D-Day landings, he had become involved in a conflict he “hadn’t understood.” He further stated, “The lives that were lost were innocent. They weren’t there to fight a dangerous war, they just got into it, like me.” Mr. Willis sustained injuries during the landings when shrapnel struck his leg. A photograph captured in the aftermath depicted him being transported on a stretcher. For his service, the French government bestowed upon Mr. Willis its highest national decoration, the Legion of Honour. In his later years, Lieutenant Willis transformed his D-Day memories into paintings that depicted the events of 80 years prior. He held the distinction of being the youngest exhibitor ever at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1942.