D-Day Veteran Escapes Nursing Home
By Andy Dolan and Clare Elicott and Sara Smyth and
Dan Bloom
DailyMail.co.uk
The 89-year-old D-Day veteran who sneaked out of his
care home to Normandy has returned to a hero's
welcome and declared: 'I would do it again
tomorrow.'
Hiding his war medals under a raincoat, Bernard
Jordan told carers he was going for a walk before
boarding a coach to France for the 70th anniversary
- sparking a frantic missing person search.
The former Royal Navy officer arrived into
Portsmouth on a cross-channel ferry this morning,
where he said: 'I expect I will be in some trouble
with the care home, but it was worth it.'
Hero's welcome: D-Day veteran Bernard Jordan, 89, returned to Britain on a ferry after sneaking onto a coach to Normandy, declaring: 'I expect I will be in some trouble with the care home, but it was worth it'
Beloved: Bernard Jordan waves on deck with Captain Olivier Macoin (left) and ship duty manager Jim Crilley
'I just wanted to go over and join in with the
commemorations,' he said. 'Being a veteran myself
this was important to me and it meant the world. I
met some great characters from old veterans to
dancing girls'
Mr Jordan summoned the spirit and determination of
June 6, 1944, when he hatched his cunning plan to
join old comrades and world leaders in remembering
the assault that cost more than 4,000 Allied lives.
By the time staff at the care home in Hove realised
he was missing on Thursday evening, the veteran had
already checked into a hotel in Ouistreham,
Normandy.
The alarm was raised at 7.15pm and police began
searching the area around The Pines care home,
checking with hospitals, bus firms and taxi
companies.
Popular: Staff on the 6.45am arrival from Caen said
they were honoured to have him
Eventually the care home breathed a sigh of relief
when they received a phone call from another
veteran, who said he had met the former Mayor of
Hove on the coach - and he would come home when he
was ready.
Today the Royal Navy veteran, who staff treated as
the guest of honour on a ferry from Caen, said it
'meant the world' to be part of the anniversary.
'I just wanted to go over and join in with the
commemorations,' he said.
'Being a veteran myself this was important to me and
it meant the world to be there. I met some great
characters - from old veterans to dancing girls -
and I loved every minute.
'It was such an exciting experience - it was a
smashing event but it is marvellous to be back. I
will have to face the music at the care home now but
that is just one of those things in life.
'You have good and bad things - you just get on with
it and do your best.'
Staff from Brittany Ferries said Mr Jordan was a
pleasure to have on board and called him a 'charmer'
with the ladies.
He arrived back in Portsmouth, Hampshire, on the
Brittany Ferry 'The Normandie' at 6.45am today.
Mr Jordan stepped out to wave to onlookers from the
front of the vessel with Captain Olivier Macoin as
it approached British soil.
His wife Irene is still at the care home in Hove,
and the veteran said she knew about his adventure in
advance.
He said: 'My wife knew I was going - she supported
me. I'm really pleased I did it and I'll do it again
next year if I'm still here.'
When told his journey had been labelled 'the Great
Escape', Mr Jordan simply laughed, before he was
driven away by Brittany Ferries staff.
Steve Tuckwell, director of communications at
Portsmouth Port Operations, said the veteran's
appetite for breakfast matched his appetite for
life.
'Game old boy': Staff on board the ferry said Mr Jordan had been a hit with the ladies - and it emerged his wife Irene, who lives in the same care home, knew all about his mini adventure before he set off
Looked after: Mr Jordan was driven away by Brittany Ferries staff, who offered him free travel in future
Home: The veteran arriving in Portsmouth with
Captain Oliver Macoin (left) and a care home worker
(right)
Appetite for life: Mr Jordan had bacon, sausages,
fried eggs, orange juice and coffee for breakfast on
board
'Mr Jordan had bacon, two fried eggs and sausages
with orange juice and coffee,' he said.
'For an 89-year-old he has a very healthy appetite.
He is a man with a lot of charm and he is really an
extraordinary character.
'The ships out to Normandy have been filled with a
tremendous atmosphere - with singing and dancing, so
I think he really enjoyed that.
'He's a tremendous guy and we loved having him on
board. It was a real honour to have him with us.'
A spokesman for Brittany Ferries said they would let
Mr Jordan travel with them for free in the future.
Liaison officer Sonia Pittam met Mr Jordan during
his outward journey and took him to meet the
captain.
Found: Veteran Bernard Jordan has been found in Normandy after travelling to France to mark the anniversary of D-Day. Above, the 89-year-old is pictured now (left) and during his time as a member of the Royal Navy (right)
Journey: Mr Jordan (centre) pictured onboard a ferry
to France with a cabin crew and members of the Candy
Girls entertainment troupe. Staff described him as a
'charmer' and said he had been a hit with the ladies
She said: 'I knew he was a game old boy. He
certainly has his wits about him.
'He didn't say much about the landings - just how
pleased he was to be on board.
'He couldn't believe how everyone was looking after
the veterans and all the people waving on the route
to the harbour entrance.
'He kept saying "all this for us". I said that's as
it should be, and he said he felt as though he was
on a luxury cruise.'
Police found the story highly amusing and Brighton
commander Nev Kemp tweeted: ‘Love this: 89-yr-old
veteran reported missing by care home who said he
can’t go to Normandy for D-Day70 remembrance. We’ve
found him there!’
The former Royal Navy officer told ITV last night
that he hoped he would not be in trouble when he
returned.
Speaking in Normandy, he told the broadcaster:
'Because I wanted to go to this show here that was
on today, that was the main reason I came over here.
Return: Mr Jordan spoke with television crews at
Caen ferry terminal in France as he made his way
home
Homecoming: The veteran told journalists he 'hoped
he wouldn't be in trouble' after he disappeared
'It's a first class show because I have been here
last year and I have been here obviously this time
and I'm going to - touch wood I'm still with us -
try next year's as well.'
Mr Jordan, who turns 90 this week, was surrounded by
burly troops from the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the
Parachute Regiment on his journey home, as they
declared: 'He’s our new best mate.'
As he sat sipping tea and laughing with the men out
on deck, he admitted he might be in trouble for not
telling staff at his nursing home that he had
decided to go to Normandy.
He told how he got a friend to drive him to Brighton
station and then took a train to Portsmouth. ‘I got
down to the dockside and I saw someone I knew and
asked if I could go on the trip. They said yes.’
When he arrived in the port of Ouistreham, France,
he found a hotel near to the site of the
international ceremony at Sword Beach and stayed
there on his own.
‘I’ve had a really good time,’ he said, as the
Paras, who declined to give their names, teased him
that he was going to be in trouble.
Mr Jordan, who turns 90 next week, was the Conservative mayor of Hove in 1995-1996, during a colourful 34-year career as a leading councillor. Burly Parachute Regiment troops described him as 'our new best mate'
Escape: Mr Johnson sneaked out of The Pines nursing
home in Hove (pictured) with his medals under a coat
They had recognised him from news stories and took
him under their wing at the ferry port.
The care home was at pains to stress that Mr Jordan
had not been banned from attending the
commemorations.
A spokesman for the Pines, which has been named as
one of the best in the UK, said their ‘wilful and
determined’ resident had been spurred in to action
after staff had failed to get him on to the
accredited trip with the Royal British Legion.
The spokesman said he had moved to the home in
January when his wife Irene was admitted and was
able to come and go as he pleased.
He added: ‘Bernard is quite a character and
certainly knows his own mind. We fully celebrate his
participation in the D-Day commemorations.’
Destination: The pensioner's hotel was near the
beach in Ouistreham, Normandy (pictured)
Tweet: Hove's commander Nev Kemp initially said staff banned him from attending - a point he later corrected
Mr Jordan, who turns 90 next week, was the
Conservative mayor of Hove in 1995-1996, during a
colourful 34-year career as a leading councillor.
He has spent all of his life in the town, returning
there to marry his sweetheart Irene at the end of
the war.
In a newsletter in April, Mr Jordan talked fondly of
being able to ‘serve the people of my town and do a
job I loved’.
Pictured holding a photograph of himself as mayor,
he warned anybody with designs on becoming a mayor
that ‘you must be prepared to work hard’.
The proudest moment of his working life, he said,
was meeting Margaret Thatcher, even though he had
defected to Labour in 2000.
Celebrations: Hundreds of veterans were in Normandy
to pay tribute to those who gave their lives in the
invasion. Above, a veteran (not Mr Jordan) salutes a
grave during a memorial service at Bayeux Cemetery
The former company director added: ‘It was
definitely one of my favourite memories. She was an
amazingly strong lady.
‘When she visited Brighton I got the chance to meet
her and it was a very proud moment for me.’
Garry Dunn, a fellow councillor and friend, said:
‘He was always very modest about the war. I know he
was involved in D-Day but he would never talk about
it.
‘He is the perfect example of a generation who did
their duty, but didn’t feel they had to tell people
what they had done. It makes me proud to be British
because he is a proud Briton. He put his town and
his country first, before him.
‘Rather than himself, people are more important to
Bernie.’
Last night Sussex Police Chief Superintendent Nev
Kemp, who originally said Mr Jordan had been banned
from going to France, clarified on Twitter that he
had not been prohibited after all.
Paying tribute: Earlier today, the Queen bowed as
she laid a wreath during a poignant service of
remembrance in Bayeux, which was the first town in
Normandy to be freed from Hitler's grip in 1944
A spokesman for Sussex police said: ‘We have spoken
to the veteran who called the home and are satisfied
that the pensioner is fine and that his friends are
going to ensure he gets back to Hove safely over the
next couple of days, after the D-Day celebrations
finish.’
The care home yesterday tweeted ‘now and then’
pictures showing Mr Jordan in his wartime naval
uniform, and also posing with his medals in an
armchair before he travelled to France.
Earlier this year, the Pines was judged one of the top 20 homes in the UK in the carehome.co.uk awards, which are based on 20,000 recommendations for homes from residents and their families.