Pelsall wartime hero Ernie honoured by French

A Second World War soldier has been immortalised in a small French town he helped liberate almost 70 years ago.

Led by Pelsall's Ernest Blincow, who died aged 87 in February, the 59th Staffordshire Division freed then-occupied Thury Harcourt, in Normandy, in 1944.

And locals remain so grateful to the soldiers' heroic efforts after nearly seven decades that a bridge and town hall room have now been dedicated to Ernest — known as Ernie - and his men.

The fierce battles they fought were part of the wider Operation Overlord invasion of German-occupied western Europe, which began with the Normandy Landings.

Members of Ernie's family visited the town for ceremonies ahead of the 64th anniversary today of the town's liberation.

Among them were granddaughter, Claire Blincow, 31, of Victoria Road, Pelsall, her husband Simon, and daughter Clementine, 21 months. They were joined by Ernie's son Barry, 62 and his wife Jackie, 59 and asked to perform the unveiling of two plaques in Ernie's honour.

Claire said Ernie, who also played briefly for West Bromwich Albion and Walsall football clubs, was an endless source of pride for his relatives.

"Obviously he always meant a lot to us, but it was really quite emotional to see how much he meant to so many other people on the other side of the channel," she said.

"He never spoke that much about what he did during the war, mainly just about the camaraderie between the men.

"But it is just so nice to know he will be remembered."

Ernie was made Sgt Major at the age of just 21, one of the youngest in the British army at the time.

And although he was largely reticent on his war-time activities, the story of one of his actions during the liberation of Thury Harcourt has achieved near legendary status among the town's residents.

Claire said: "As his division were fighting to take control of the town, there was a German sniper in the church tower.

"Nobody could take him out and I think he kept picking off British soldiers.

"So apparently, my grandfather just said 'I'll get the bugger', got into his tank, and just shot down the whole church tower.

"It had been quite a bloody battle and I think it was one of the only things left standing in the town, but the residents there don't seem to hold it against him."

Ernie died following a short illness in February, just two months after he retired from his longstanding career as a sign-maker —stepping down from his last job, hand-painting plaques on trees in honour of fallen servicemen at the National Memorial Arboretum, in Alrewas.

He had been married to wife Ivy until her death in 1987. And Claire revealed that he could have gone on to have a successful career in football if things had turned out differently.

"When we were going through his things after he died, we found a letter from the manager of Walsall FC when he was with the club briefly in 1947," she said.

"It was a hand-written letter asking him to reconsider his decision to take up a trade instead."

Claire and Clementine travelled to France this week to perform the unveiling in front of dignitries and residents of Thury Harcourt. One is on a bridge in the centre of the town, which was rebuilt after being blown up in the campaign. The other is in a room dedicated to him in the town hall.

The local newspaper Ouest France covered the emotional event.

Claire added: "I think it just makes the whole family so proud to think about what he helped achieve during the war. He will certainly not be forgotten."