PEMBROKE Dock D-Day veteran and former Royal Marine Commando Ted Owens has recently been presented with a special French medal in recognition of his wartime exploits.

Ted, 91, of Elizabeth Court, who served in B Troop 41 Royal Marine Commando, has been made a Chevalier in the Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur, one of France’s highest military decorations.

Ted, along with 11 other Welsh veterans who had taken part in the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944, was formally presented to Her Excellency Sylvie Bermann, the French Ambassador to the UK along with other dignitaries.

Although he had already received his Legion d’Honneur before Christmas through the post, the embassy decided that a special ceremony was warranted so that the ambassador representing French President Francois Hollande could thank the Welsh veterans in person.

Among the dignitaries present were Stephen Crabb MP and Marie Brousseau-Navarro, the Honorary French Consul to Wales.

Accompanying Ted to the ceremony were his friend Graham Beacham and Mayor of Pembroke Dock Peter Kraus.

The Legion d’Honneur is the highest award that France can give to those who serve their country and during the presentation the ambassador told the veterans in French that they were being made “Un Chevalier de l’ordre du Legion d’Honneur”. Translated that makes Ted a Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honour.

“This has been one of the proudest days of my life,” Ted said after it was all over.