Normandy veteran Ernest Payne died on January 20 at his home in Trowbridge, aged 95.

Mr Payne was born on January 28, 1919 in Trowbridge and grew up on the Seymour estate, the youngest of 10 children.

He was a pupil at Adcroft Boy’s School until he was 14. When he left, he worked as a delivery boy for a nearby chemists and later for a Trowbridge butchers.

At 17, he moved to work at Avon Rubber as a quality controller, where he worked until he retired.

During a firm’s two-week summer shutdown, Mr Payne and a couple of friends volunteered for the Territorial Army, where they got paid 15 shillings a week.

He was called up for National Service, and was deployed to the beaches of Normandy in 1944, serving with the 4th Wiltshire Regiment, sub-division 5th regiment. He was also part of the 43rd Wessex Division which saw regiments from the South West join together.

As a Private, he was known to be a good shot and his skill earned him an extra tuppence a week.

During his service he was seriously wounded three times, including two shotgun wounds to his back and stomach.

On one occasion he was taken to Dudley Road hospital in Birmingham and his family were told his chances of survival were low. However when they went to say their goodbyes they found him sat up in bed smoking a cigarette.

After a nine-month recovery, he returned to the army and at the end of the war returned to Avon Rubber, on light duties because of his injuries.

Mr Payne had met his wife Margaret at school, when they shared a dance and walk home together. The couple were married at Trowbridge parish church in 1942, when Mr Payne was granted three days leave to attend his wedding. They went on to have four children, Charles, Tony, Jennifer and Sandra.

After retirement, he enjoyed many hobbies that allowed him to get his hands dirty such as keeping pigeons, rearing cockerels and his last interest was making his own wine.

The family moved to Downside Park 15 years ago and Mr Payne was a member of the Normandy Veteran Association for many years as well as Wiltshire-based old comrade’s association the Vly Club.

His funeral will be held on February 4 at 11am at the West Wiltshire Crematorium at Semington. Family flowers only, with donations to the Royal British Legion.