Vicky McClure’s tribute to D-Day veteran grandad

Nottingham-born McClure said on X on Monday: “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.”

She added: “Sleep well Grandad, back with Nana Jean, giggling and dancing in the stars.”

Mr McClure previously told the BBC his part in the D-Day invasion was “a job to be done”.

As a signaller on a landing craft during Operation Overlord, Mr McClure was close enough to come under small arms fire from rifles and machine guns.

He said: “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.”