Léon Gautier: Last French D-Day fighter dies aged 100

The past surviving subordinate of a French commando portion that helped to repel Nazi Germany's penetration of occidental Europe has died aged 100.

Léon Gautier was portion of the D-Day landings successful 1944 - erstwhile Allied forces invaded Normandy successful France during the biggest oversea penetration successful history.

He was among lone a tiny fig of French nationals to instrumentality portion successful the deadly eight-day battle.

Gautier aboriginal called warfare a "misery" that "ends with widows and orphans".

Regional Mayor Romain Bail described Gautier arsenic "a section leader whom everybody knew" and who was "an ardent defender of freedom".

Gautier was calved successful Rennes, successful France's north-western Brittany region, and enlisted successful the French navy arsenic a teen soon aft World War Two began, arsenic helium was excessively young to participate the army.

He escaped to Britain successful 1940 earlier Adolf Hitler's forces swept done overmuch of occidental Europe, including France.

In London, Gautier joined the Free France movement, which maintained a government-in-exile and subject that coordinated with the Allies against Nazi Germany.

He fought successful Congo, Syria and Lebanon, earlier joining a portion of marine riflemen known arsenic the Kieffer commandos, which trained successful the Scottish Highlands.

They were the lone French fighters to enactment successful D-Day.

During the Battle for Normandy, much than fractional of Gautier's portion of 177 Frenchmen were killed.

The D-Day landings, which progressive soldiers from galore different Allied countries, began an onslaught that lasted for 11 months. It yet led to the decision of Nazi Germany and the liberation of occupied Europe.

Later successful life, Gautier settled successful the Normandy larboard municipality of Ouistreham, and became a campaigner for peace.

"Not each that agelong ago... I would deliberation possibly I killed a young lad," helium said successful an interrogation with Reuters quality bureau successful 2019, erstwhile helium was 96 years old.

"Perhaps I orphaned children, possibly I widowed a pistillate oregon made a parent cry... I didn't privation to bash that. I'm not a atrocious man."