D-Day veteran sneaked out under the wire?

By: snafu - 6th June 2014 at 19:07

D-Day: Hove veteran disappears for Normandy trip

An 89-year-old WW2 veteran disappeared from his nursing home without saying where he was going and went to France for the D-Day commemorations.

The former mayor of Hove, Bernard Jordan, left the home at 10:30 BST on Thursday, and was reported missing to Sussex Police that evening.

Staff later discovered he had joined other veterans in France and was safe and well at a hotel in Ouistreham.

Earlier, it was believed care home staff stopped him going to the events.

Brighton and Hove police had tweeted: "90 year old veteran reported missing from care home. Turns out they'd said no to him going to #DDay70 but he went anyway #fightingspirit"

Hundreds of veterans have been marking the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France, with events on the beaches of Normandy.

'Definitely not banned'
The landings were the first stage of the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe.

Mr Jordan, who was mayor of Hove from 1995-96, is a resident of The Pines nursing home in Hove.

The pensioner had gone out wearing a grey raincoat and a jacket underneath with his war medals on, the police force said.

A spokesman said: "We have spoken to the veteran who called the home today and are satisfied that the pensioner is fine and that his friends are going to ensure he gets back to Hove safely over the next couple of days after the D-Day celebrations finish.

"Once the pensioner is home, we will go and have a chat with him to check he is OK."

Nev Kemp, the police commander for the City of Brighton & Hove, tweeted: "Love this: 89yr old veteran reported missing by care home who said he can't go to Normandy for #DDay70 remembrance. We've found him there!"

A spokesman for the home said it was "definitely not the case" that Mr Jordan was banned from attending the D-Day commemorations.

Peter Curtis, chief executive of Gracewell Healthcare, which runs The Pines, confirmed Mr Jordan had attended the events in Normandy.

He said: "Mr Jordan has full capacity, which means that he can come and go from the home as he pleases, which he does on most days.

"At no stage was he banned from going to the commemorations."

'Disappointment over tour'
Staff had in fact tried to get Mr Jordan on to an accredited tour with the Royal British Legion, he added, but it had not been possible because of the last-minute nature of the request.

Mr Curtis said: "Mr Jordan was reported missing to the police yesterday evening as a matter of caution because he did not return from his normal trip to town.

"When he left, [he] had not told us he was still intent on trying to get to Normandy."

And he said staff at the company were "in awe" of the part Mr Jordan had played in the D-Day invasion.

According to the company's blog, Mr Jordan has lived in Hove all his life and at the home since January.

It said: "He served in the Second World War in the Royal Navy and upon returning married his sweetheart, Irene."

Brighton councillor Les Hamilton, who preceded Mr Jordan as mayor of Hove said the 89-year-old veteran had previously attended the 50th and 60th memorial services in Normandy.

"I'm not surprised to hear he's gone missing," he said.

"The memorial services meant a lot to him. He clearly didn't want to miss what might be his last one."

Mr Hamilton said Mr Jordan lived with his wife at the care home.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-27735086

Sounds like someone screwed up in the PR department for the nursing home if that was the impression the police were given, but he is alive and well and commemorating the anniversary just the same!