A HERO war veteran was targeted by burglars who ransacked his house and stole his treasured medals.
George Garner, 84, served in the aftermath of the D-Day beach landings that saw the Allies triumph in the Second World War.
A young teenage apprentice with the Merchant Navy at the time, George helped pull survivors out of the sea after a destroyer was sunk by a German bomb.
His exploits later saw him serve all over the world with the Parachute Regiment and the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers – losing many friends in conflicts from Kenya to Korea.
But now the grandfather, who also served in Malaysia and Palestine, has become a victim of mindless thieves.
On Saturday, George’s home in Monkchester Green, Walker, Newcastle, was broken into and eight of his medals were taken.
Today, as police launched an appeal to find the raiders, the former sergeant spoke of his “heartbreak” at losing the mementos, which he said are tributes to the friends he lost.
He said: “These people don’t know what a hard day’s work is.
“They’re no better than animals, I was in total shock at the state they’d left the place in. It looked like a pack of hyenas had been round and ransacked the place. And I know what hyenas are like from East Africa. They are scavengers.
“Eight medals are gone. They meant a lot to me.
“They represent not only my time but some of the lads who were in the same environment and who were killed. I loved them.”
George was just 16 when he found himself aboard a boat delivering supplies to British forces in Normandy, France, two days after the D-Day invasion of June 6, 1944.
Not yet old enough to sign up as a professional sailor, he played his part in hauling stricken survivors of a sinking destroyer from the sea.
Remembering the traumatic incident, he said: “I cried my eyes out because there were some guys who we couldn’t get to and they were drowned.
“There were only two survivors. We pulled them aboard the ship and took them to the stewards’ quarters and gave them a black coffee and put rum in it.
“I remember because one of them was complaining how he’d lost £100 worth of gear on the ship that went down. Someone said to him, you’re lucky to be alive, never mind your gear!”
It was between 9pm-10pm on Saturday, August 20, when the burglary took place. George was not at home at the time.
The medals are an End of War silver medal with a red, white and blue ribbon and the Queen’s head on the reverse; a Korea medal in bronze; a Bronze United Nations Career medal; a Silver Career medal with a ribbon and a lion on the front; a silver Victory medal, a General Service Medal; a silver France/Germany medal and a silver Kenyan medal with a yellow and black ribbon, an image of a dragon on the front.
DC Helen Mackay, of Northumbria Police, said: “A witness saw a man in the back garden of the address around the time of the offence and described him as white, in his 20s or 30s, with blonde or light ginger hair.”
Anyone with information should contact Byker CID on 0345 604 3043, ext 69191, or the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Read More http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/evening-chronicle-news/2011/08/23/walker-war-hero-s-medals-stolen-by-burglars-72703-29286119/#ixzz1VtFymFkk
