D-Day veteran, 100, 'honoured' by Freedom of York

York's last surviving Normandy veteran says he is "shocked and honoured" to be awarded the Freedom of the City.

Ken Cooke, 100, was 18 when he took part in the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944.

City of York Council voted unanimously to award him the highest honour the authority can bestow at an extraordinary meeting on Thursday.

Ken said: "I'm very proud I've been presented with this honour, it's something I've never expected. Never, never, never."

The honour recognises Ken's exceptional service to York, according to papers from the meeting.

Ken said he was "gobsmacked" by the award, adding: "I've lived in York for 80 years now, so I think I've qualified.

"This is for all my comrades too, every award I get always includes them."

On D-Day alone, as many as 4,400 troops died from the combined allied forces and some 9,000 were wounded or missing.

Ever since his military service, Cooke has taken part in remembrance events and delivered talks to schools and community groups in the hope the sacrifice made by his generation is never forgotten.

Council leader Claire Douglas said it was important to recognise the veteran's service to both the city and the country.

"I couldn't be more proud to help him get the Freedom of the City," she said.

Among the first troops to land on D-Day, Ken later recalled stepping into about 6in (15cm) of seawater and remembering only how wet his socks felt.

Less than a month later, he was seriously wounded by a mortar bomb while on patrol and sent home to recover.

Councillor Martin Rowley, chairman of York's Royal British Legion branch, said Ken returned to the front line after recovering from his injuries.

He later settled in York and became "a leading advocate for veterans".

As a founding and last surviving member of the York Normandy Veterans association, the councillor said Ken had helped "ensure those Normandy memories remain alive".

Asked what he would do with his Freedom of the City, Ken joked: "I'm allowed to drive six sheep across Lendal Bridge.

"And if I was in the Army, my regiment would be allowed to march through the town with the banners waving and the bayonets fixed.

"But I'm thinking, would I be able to jump on the bus somewhere without paying?"

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.