Milton Keynes man appeals for relatives of the fallen from D-Day landings and Battle of Normandy to come forward

The grandson of a man who lost his life in WW2 is appealing for relatives of the 22,442 British people who died during the D-Day landings and Battle of Normandy.

Their names will appear on the new Normandy Memorial to be built next to Gold Beach.

Paul Harris, who lives in Kents Hill, became a Guardian of the memorial after tracing the wartime history of his own grandfather, Private George Hanks.

George was a member of the 10th Battalion Highland Light Infantry and fell at the age of 30 on August 7 1944 during Operation Bluecoat.

As the Germans retreated in early August 1944 a concave semi-circle formed around the tiny agricultural commune, Estry. It had become a fortress where over 450 people would die during intense house-to-house fighting.

Just after midnight on August 7, under the orders of Hitler himself, the enemy opened fire with artillery searching the orchard with remarkable accuracy. Here George fell after being hit by a mortar.

Paul said: "In 2015, my mother gave me the love letters George had written to my grandmother during his time in France. With each letter he asks for a picture of his baby girl, Rosemary – my mother.

"He finally received the photo a day before he was killed at Estry... My mother had just turned one when her father died, so although they met, she has no memory of him. I like to think George died holding that picture.

"After George’s tragic passing, my Granny Hilda never cried again for the rest of her life. She passed away aged 92 in 2008. She was an incredibly strong and feisty woman."

Using the letters as a guide, Paul began searching through military records and historical books, charting day-by-day where his grandfather, as a novice soldier, was thrown into combat against some of the most battle-hardened Nazi opponents.

"The research became my own personal mission to unlock the past, so much so that I tracked down the exact spot where my grandfather fell," he said. "With the help of some local knowledge, I was able to find the then little French boy, Albert, who had tended my grandfather’s temporary grave for three years until it was moved to the St Charles de Percy Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery."

In April 2016, Paul and his family made a trip to Normandy to meet Albert.

"I drove down a Norman dirt track to find waiting patiently for my mother and my family was the man that had looked after my grandfather over 70 years ago. Although now in his eighties, Monsieur Albert Prunier stood tall, proudly guarding the very spot where my grandfather George had lay on his family farm," he said.

"Mum was greatly comforted by the meeting with Albert. Although she had always wanted his body repatriated, speaking to Albert finally gave her closure and reassurance that her father was being looked after by the good people of Normandy."

Paul added: "I am immensely proud of my grandfather I never met and have become a ‘Guardian’ of the British Normandy Memorial in his honour."

A photo of George Hanks and his name will be engraved on the British Normandy Memorial.

Paul and fellow guardians and memorial trustees are now appealing for relatives of the fallen to come forward to share stories, pictures, letters and other archive materials connected to their loved ones so that their memory can be preserved digitally for future generations via a Digital Visitor Experience App.

You can read more about the appeal or search the Roll of Honour for a name here .