A D-day veteran, who wants his song to be number one, warmed the heart of Good Morning Britain viewers this morning.
Jim Radford, 90, from Hull, was just 15 when he was unloaded on the beaches of Normandy to take back France from the Nazi German forces on 6th June 1944.
The Merchant Navy veteran appeared on GMB to promote his single ‘The Shores of Normandy,’ which he hopes we reach the top of the charts for D-Day remembrance day next week.
Viewers were touched by Jim’s story, and took to Twitter to honour his service in the navy, calling him a ‘decent honest patriotic veteran’.
Royal navy D-Day veteran Jim Radford appeared on Good Morning Britain today to promote his single ‘The Shores of Normandy’
Jim, 90, hopes to see his single reach number one of the charts, ahead of Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran
Pictured: Jim as a member of the merchant Navy. He is pictured here as an 18 year old with the tug Empire Larch on which he served
Taking to Twitter viewers said: ‘ Jim Radford is a war hero.. a kid in that killing field… a decent honest patriotic veteran.’
‘You’re more than just a pop star Jim,’ wrote another, ‘you’re a megastar!’
While others said: ‘Jim witnessed things nobody, especially his age, should have done. He and all of those others, who survived who didn’t have my TOTAL respect. Thank you for what you did for us,’ another viewer commented.
One other reflected: ‘Jim Radford, 90 years old and lived the toughest of childhoods known to man. Looks and sounds healthier than many men 30yrs his younger. I salute you Sir for all you’ve done for your country.’
Viewers were touched by Jim’s story and his participation of D-Day. They also thanked him for his service
On GMB, Jim said of arriving in Normandy on D-Day: ‘I don’t think I was fearful. You know you’re in a very dangerous situation, but there’s a lot of adrenaline and you focus on what you have to do. ‘
Jim was determined to go to sea even though his older brother Jack was killed aged 18 when his ship was torpedoed.
Jim’s haunting ballad The Shores Of Normandy – featuring lyrics about men who ‘stormed the gates of hell’ and ‘died upon that blood-soaked sand’ – was released only a week ago.
It has edged ahead of Sheeran and Bieber’s joint hit I Don’t Care in the online store’s chart, regarded as a barometer of what could be a future official No 1.
Mr Radford, the youngest known D-Day veteran, was inspired to write the folk song about his experiences as a 15-year-old galley boy on a ship on June 6, 1944.
His newly recorded version is raising funds for the Normandy Memorial Trust’s monument to the 22,442 men and women serving under British command who fell in the Battle of Normandy.
Jim, pictured on board HMS Belfast on the Thames in London. Jim served on the HMS Belfast in 1944 as a galley boy
He said of the chart success: ‘I’m delighted. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be No 1 in any list. The more copies we sell, the more money we raise to build this memorial.
‘We want people to remember all those good men. They deserve to be honoured and remembered. The thing that I remember most is seeing (the bodies of) those lads floating in the water – the ones who had to run up the beaches into the machine gun fire and never made it. I can still see their faces now.’
Mr Radford, who now lives in Lewisham, south-east London, served as a galley boy on Merchant Navy tug Empire Larch.
It helped to build the Mulberry harbour off Arromanches at Gold Beach which allowed the Royal Navy to transport troops, vehicles and supplies. Mr Radford had left school earlier in 1944 and, despite his older brother Jack being killed aged 18 when his ship was torpedoed, he was determined to go to sea.
The Merchant Navy was not officially allowed to sign up under-16s, but the young Jim found a towing company which ‘seemingly didn’t care about my age’.
The Shores Of Normandy can be downloaded from www.normandymemorialtrust.org or from online music stores
He recalled: ‘Gold Beach was a terrible sight. I have never seen so many bodies before or since.’
Father-of-three Mr Radford, who went on to join the Royal Navy and became a peace campaigner, has been performing his song for years. The memorial, backed by Daily Mail readers, will be inaugurated in France on June 6.
The Shores Of Normandy can be downloaded from www.normandymemorialtrust.org or from online music stores.