Jim Jenkins is 96 years old and still suffers from his experiences during the war, but he is proud to have been honoured by France for the part he played.

He recently received a letter from the French Embassy, informing him that he had been appointed to the rank of Chevalier in the Ordre National de la Légion d’honneur.

Mr Jim KC?Jenkins, who lives in Glewstone, near Ross-on-Wye served as an Officer in the Second World War. In the letter he was told: “As we contemplate this Europe of peace, we must never forget the heroes like you, who came from Britain and the Commonwealth to begin the liberation of Europe by liberating France. We owe our freedom and security to your dedication, because you were ready to risk your life.”

Jim must have seen and experienced terrible things, he was at the Battle of El Alamein, D Day and Greece, but he talks about it lightly, referring to horrendous explosions as a bit of a bang. He added:?“It did get a bit hairy at times.”

At one point he was away from home for a stretch of five years and he spent a lot of time in hospitals all over the country when he eventually bought his way out of the army.

Jim was born and brought up in the Ross area and he attended Cantilupe School, which he told the Gazette he did not really enjoy. He left as soon as he could but then found it difficult to get a job. He saw an advertisement in the paper and decided to join the army.

His father told him that he did not think Jim would last five minutes and Jim admitted that he was a bit of a ‘Mummy’s boy’, but he enjoyed getting physically fit at basic training. He said:?“By the end of the 12 weeks I could jump a five bar gate and we did many route marches.” Then one day, when supplies were being delivered, he got chatting to a member of the RASC and decided he would like to learn to drive. When he asked what RASC stood for, they replied, ‘Run Away Somebody’s Coming’ and he thought ‘that’s the mob for me.’

He was sent to Cairo where he quickly learnt how to swear fluently in Arabic, as well as being trained in map reading. He also got sick of the sight of dates as the soldiers all ate so many.

Jim told the Ross Gazette that at the start of the action the Allies did well, which he said was surprising as all their equipment was practically obsolete. Jim was involved in taking Prisoners of War back to Alexandria, but then he was posted to Greece.

He thought this would be an improvement on the desert as he imagined it full of lovely Grecian maidens and lots of ouzo, but instead he found towns which had been destroyed, and as there was nothing to hold the Germans back he was told it was ‘every man for himself’.

Taking all the chocolates and cigarettes they could find, Jim and four or five others made their way to a fishing village and persuaded a fisherman to take them to Alexandria. Instead they were dumped in Crete.

It was while they were sheltering for the night under their lorries in the war ravaged town of Larissa that Jim met a friend who would be loyal companion to him until he returned home.

A small dog was sleeping next to Jim when he woke up and Jim realised that he had probably not eaten for days as all the people had been evacuated there was no one to care for the animal.

Jim decided to take him along and for five years the dog rarely left his side, even when he returned to Egypt.

From the shore in Crete Jim and his mates could see a New Zealand Navy destroyer but could not find a way out to it. They used some floating debris and managed to paddle their way across to it. They were picked up and taken to Alexandria and then sent to Iraq and Suez. He said:?“We finished up in Damascus which was a beautiful city.”

Jim eventually bought his way out of the army and married his girlfriend, Doris, 63 years ago.

They have a son and a daughter and two grandchildren they are very proud of.

It was Doris who helped him with his health problems and the mental torment he suffered in the years that followed. Jim also paid tribute to the charity Combat Stress.

He still loves to be with Doris and spends his time looking out at the garden he created at his home in Glewstone.