Vicky McClure shares heartbreaking family loss in moving tribute as she reveals her gratitude at having ‘so many special memories’

Line Of Duty star Vicky McClure has confirmed the death of her grandfather Ralph, hours after his passing aged 99 on Monday morning. 

The actress shared a photo of her D-Day veteran grandfather on her Instagram grid and told followers she will ‘be grateful for having so many special memories with him.’  

She wrote: ‘My Grandad Ralph peacefully passed away this morning. His love for football, gardening and his family kept him young all these years.

‘I feel so grateful having so many special memories with him. A much loved hero by all and a loving Grandad to all his grandkids and great grandkids.

‘Sleep well Grandad, back with Nana Jean now, giggling and dancing in the stars.’ 

Vicky’s heartfelt post was flooded with messages of condolences from her fans and showbiz pals including Davina McCall, Alan Carr and Gaby Roslin. 

The actress shared a photo of her D-Day veteran grandfather on her Instagram grid and told followers she will ‘be grateful for having so many special memories with him’

Earlier this year, ahead of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in June, Vicky’s grandfather detailed how he narrowly escaped death when his landing craft was hit by enemy fire during the invasion of Normandy. 

Ralph was just 17 when he signed up to serve in the Royal Navy and was deployed as a signaler on a landing raft tank on that historic day. 

Mr McClure’s vessel took armoured vehicles right up onto the beaches, where he described having to jump down and hide when they came under fire from snipers. 

‘To me it was a job that was to be done  and you did it to your best ability,’ he told the BBC.

He continued: ‘I was going down and I could hear ‘Ping! Ping! Ping!’ and I thought ‘that must be snipers.’ 

They had German snipers in the houses and I just dropped and threw myself into where the tanks had been where they couldn’t get you.

‘These are the bits of the landing you don’t forget.’

Vicki, who is known for playing the all-action heroine Kate Fleming in Line Of Duty, gushed about her respect for her grandfather and the importance of remembering that day. 

She wrote: ‘My Grandad Ralph peacefully passed away this morning. His love for football, gardening and his family kept him young all these years’

Earlier this year, Vicky’s (right) grandfather detailed how he narrowly escaped death when his landing craft was hit by enemy fire during the invasion of Normandy

Vicki gushed about her respect for her grandfather and the importance of remembering that day

‘It is so important to keep this history really close and make sure the kids know about it,’ she said.

‘It’s so important that people like my grandad are able to recall it and I’m sure there are many veterans who felt unable or didn’t want to do that.

‘So any kind of information we can have that comes in about that history is important.’ 

She added that he had only started talking about his experiences in the war recently.