D-Day veteran and author Jim dies, aged 91

10:47am Tuesday 2nd September 2008

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Hampshire D-DAY veteran Jim Bellows, who wrote a book inspired by his time in the Hampshire Regiment, has died aged 91.

During recent years he had been suffering from breathing problems and he died at his home in Calmore.

It was when he was aged 27 that the former signal sergeant took part in the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944 to liberate western Europe from Nazi occupation.

After spending two days in an American transit camp at Cadlands Park in the New Forest he boarded the landing craft from Southam-pton headed for the Normandy coastline.

The vessel saw many of its servicemen doomed when it crashed into a sandbar as it sped onto the beach.

Recalling his wartime experiences in the year he made his pilgrimage to Normandy during the 60th anniversary commemorations Mr Bellows said: "People don't realise the losses we sustained but these were people you had known for ten years. They were like brothers rather than soldiers."

He carried on with the Allied advance up to Brussels but was wounded there and recuperated back home.

After returning to Europe for a short time he came back to England where he trained infantrymen.

Mr Bellows, who was born in a terraced house in Tower Place near the Bargate, then worked as a post office engineer before becoming a stevedore in Southampton docks.

As a Southampton man born and bred he wrote a book entitled My Southampton, In the Twenties and Thirties - a collection of memories from the city's close knit communities.

His other book called When in doubt, brew up, recalled his days in the Hampshire Regiment in which he said that the tea and humour helped to bolster the morale of the squaddies.

John Evans, secretary of the Southampton, Eastleigh and New Forest branch of the Hampshire Regiment Comrades Association said: "He's going to be greatly missed. He was one of the old timers."

Mr Bellows is survived by his wife Nancy and their three children.

"His funeral service will take place on Thursday.