One of Britain's last surviving D-Day heroes who survived torpedo attack dies aged 100

The Cranleigh, Surrey, resident was among the remaining few servicemen who took part in one of the greatest and most consequential military operations in history.

Born in Clapham, Mr Rice played his part in the Allied effort to liberate Nazi-occupied north-west Europe, delivering troops, vehicles and supplies to Juno Beach just days after the initial D-Day assault on June 6, 1944.

He was awarded the Legion d'honneur - France's most prestigious distinction - for his wartime contribution.

In his later years, Mr Rice became a tireless champion of remembrance, urging schools to do more to educate young people about the Normandy campaign and the realities of conflict.

His death marks another profound loss to Britain's vanishing generation of wartime heroes.

Mr Rice was a mere 17 years old when he boarded HMS Eastway, a Casa Grande-class dock landing ship, bound for the beaches of Normandy.

During his service, the young signalman came perilously close to death when a torpedo was spotted heading directly for his vessel. Fortunately, the ship rode high enough in the water that the weapon passed harmlessly beneath the hull.

After the Normandy campaign, Mr Rice was posted to Malta for a 12-week land-based assignment before transiting the Suez Canal into the Red Sea, before subsequently serving in the Gulf, Sri Lanka, Burma and Singapore.

Once the war ended, Mr Rice took to the seas once more, this time working aboard cruise ships.

That chapter closed when he met his wife Gwen, who reportedly presented him with a stark choice: "It's me or the sea."

Mr Rice was also a devoted advocate for keeping the memory of D-Day alive. Speaking at the Union Jack Club in London in 2024, he expressed his desire for young people to understand what happened on the Normandy beaches, saying the "world is dangerous at the moment" and voicing hope that the next generation might persuade politicians to steer clear of war.

In November 2025, he was received by the King and Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duchess of Gloucester at a reception commemorating the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan.

Mr Rice was among the earliest veterans to visit the British Normandy Memorial following its completion in October 2021, returning every year thereafter with the Spirit of Normandy Trust.

As recently as June this year, he travelled to Normandy for the 82nd anniversary of D-Day. There, he spoke to GB News and shared his concern that history could be repeating itself.

"It's most important [that we remember veterans from D-Day]," he told The People's Channel. "But having said that, why are certain people in the world today, having lived during this period, why are they trying to do it all over again?"

Tributes poured in, from The Spirit of Normandy Trust, with whom he had made numerous pilgrimages to France, described him as "a great character, with a cheeky smile that endeared him to everyone he met."

They added that he "always represented the veterans with dignity, particularly when asked to lay a wreath on behalf of his colleagues or to recite the Exhortation or Kohima Epitaph."

The British Normandy Memorial spoke of their "dear Henry," noting that "his passion for remembrance was truly humbling" and that his "beaming smile, infectious warmth and wonderful zest for life brought such joy to everyone fortunate enough to know him."

The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity said: "It was an honour to know him. Fair winds and following seas, Henry."

Mr Rice's death came just a fortnight after fellow Normandy veteran Kenneth Hay, who died aged 101.