War hero 'too old' to sell poppies

A SECOND World War hero has been banned from selling Remembrance Day poppies after raising £140,000 over 50 years – because he is too old and needs insurance.

D-Day veteran Harry Billinge, 84, has been collecting money for military charities every year for five decades.

Harry, president of a Normandy Veterans' Association and a Royal British Legion branch chairman, has been told this year must be his last – as he will be uninsurable when he turns 85.

Great grandfather Harry – who turns 85 next September – was told the British Legion would not be able to afford the cost of the insurance. Harry, of St Austell, yesterday claimed he would like to "stick a bayonet up" whoever made the decision.

He fumed: "I fought the Germans on D-Day and many of my friends died protecting this country.

"We never had insurance fighting on those beaches.

"Now the health and safety mob want to disgrace their memory by bring in these ridiculous rules.

"The world has gone made. It's an outrage. I'd like to stick a bayonet up whoever came up with this nonsense."

Harry, who served as a sapper in the Second World War, was demobilised from the Army in 1946 and has collected poppy money ever since.

He travelled to Normandy in the summer as one of thousands of D-Day veterans who went to pay their repects to their fallen colleagues at the 65th anniversary of the landings in Northern France.

He went in full military uniform and wore a picture of the Queen on his chest after she was unable to attend.

But last week an official told him this would have to be his last year selling poppies – because he's too old.

Harry said: "This chap explained that, when I turn 85 I'd need insuring and they couldn't afford it.

"What a cheek. I've been selling poppies for 50 years and they try and tell me I can't do it any more. Harry Patch collected for poppies until he was over 100.

"There's never a day that goes by when I don't think of those poor lads who never came home from France. It still reduces me to tears today. I would be letting them down if I stopped selling those poppies."

Harry, who is married to Sheila, 74, is the president of the Royal British Legion in St Austell and president of Cornwall's Royal Engineers Association. He is also chairman of Cornwall's Normandy Veteran Association and each year lays a wreath at the war memorial in Truro.