THIS summer's 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings will have special poignancy for one Swindon family.

The funeral service of veteran Norman Wynn, 80, takes place on Thursday - just three months before he was due to join comrades in London for a parade to mark the milestone.

In June 1944, Norman - a member of the Royal Scots Fusiliers - was a 20-year-old soldier sent to the beaches of northern France to help liberate Europe.

Each year, until his asthma made it difficult, he would don his medals and beret and make the trip to London for Armistice Day.

Widow Beryl, 79, of North Street, described him as a loving man, who always made time for their son, Paul, daughter Michelle, and four grandchildren.

She said: "He had all the D-Day books and could talk for hours about the campaigns. But he would never talk about the sights he saw. He once told me that he would never want anyone else to experience that kind of devastation."

After the war Norman completed a tour of duty in India then returned to Swindon to work as a builder. In 1961 he became a refuse collector for Swindon Council - a job he held until his retirement.

His son Paul, 43, said: "He had nothing bad to say about anybody. There was never any hated towards the Germans - he believed they were fighting for what they felt was right."

Members of the Cirencester branch of the Normandy Veterans' Association will act as guard of honour at the funeral at 2pm at Christ Church, in Old Town.