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D-Day 75: 94-year-old Jock Hutton from Maidstone parachutes into Normandy

A 94-year-old veteran parachuted into Sannerville to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

John 'Jock' Hutton, who lives in Maidstone, did not let his age stop him from commemorating the day in his own special way.

Mr Hutton was a 19-year-old in the 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Batallion when he first did the jump in to Normandy 75-years-ago.

Jock Hutton parachuted from the outskirts of Sannerville.Picture: Cpl Robert Weideman.
Jock Hutton parachuted from the outskirts of Sannerville.Picture: Cpl Robert Weideman.

This is the third time since then the Scotsman has marked the anniversary in this way, having also done it at the 65th and 70th.

Speaking to the KM Group at the 65th anniversary, he said: "To have the opportunity to jump on behalf of the battalion, with so few of my chaps left now, was an honour.

"I am very proud to be the only veteran who took part in the drop there. Something like this is once in a lifetime and I was extremely proud to be part of the whole thing."

This was the fourth time Mr Hutton had done the jump. Picture: Cpl Robert Weideman.
This was the fourth time Mr Hutton had done the jump. Picture: Cpl Robert Weideman.

He followed around 280 paratroopers made up of 130 UK troops from the 16 Air Assault Brigade and 150 from the French Army's 11e Brigade.

The Red Devils display team from The Parachute Regiment also took part, dropping from four Hercules C130 military aircraft and multiple Dakota Aircraft into Sannerville in Normandy, France.

Tomorrow, will be 75 years since thousands of troops landed on the beaches of Normandy to begin the Allied invasion and liberate France from Germany.

He did the jump to mark D-day.Picture: Cpl Jamie Hart
He did the jump to mark D-day.Picture: Cpl Jamie Hart

Jock's friend of 30 years, Bryn Price said: "He was a legend even back when he was serving, everyone knew who he was.

"He is incredible and unstoppable, the fact he has survived D-Day and everything else after that just shows it.

"I expected nothing less from him, he is the type of person that if you tell him he can't do something, you best believe he will show you he can."

"On the 60th anniversary he tried to persuade the forces that he would jump again but he was told he was too old, and so he did it as a tandem jump.

"He is active as anything and he is a real legend."

Hundreds of people gathered to watch 34 Dakota planes fly over Kent to mark the occasion.

Everyone wanted to see the flypast and caused traffic chaos to do so.

Read more: All the latest news from Maidstone

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