Rest in peace Frank: Walsall war hero who fought in D-Day laid to rest
‘The war made him the man he was for the rest of his life, and it shaped all our family.’
A Normandy veteran’s daughter has paid tribute to her father after his funeral.
Frank Corbett landed on Gold Beach during the invasion of 1944 – and was later honoured for his service with a French Legion d’Honneur medal.
Fellow Normandy veterans formed a guard of honour outside Streetly Crematorium yesterday for the 96-year-old’s final journey.
Mr Corbett, who was originally from Walsall Wood, later served nearly five decades as a trader selling net curtains at Cannock Indoor Market.
But it was his experiences from 1939 to 1946 which shaped his later life, according to Mr Corbett’s daughter Julie Last.
He served as a Corporal and anti-tank gunner in the 7th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, before being transferred to the Monmouthshire Regiment as his own battalion was so depleted.
Dozens of mourners, including his family and fellow veterans, attended the chapel to remember Mr Corbett.
His life was described as ‘remarkable’ by Rev Keith Beckingham, who said he was part of a generation that ‘captured the bulldog spirit’.
Veterans formed a guard of honour as the hearse made its way to the chapel with Mr Corbett’s coffin, which had the Union flag draped over it.
Julie, 57, said: “Dad was involved with the Bren anti-tank gun and when they landed in Normandy there was 6ft of water and he only just managed to get onto the beach with his men.
“Then they had to get all of the water out of the engine while they were being fired at by the Germans.
“Dad always felt guilty that he enjoyed the war – not the killing side of it but all the other things about it, the camaraderie.
“He used to say: you don’t realise the danger you’re in while you’re in the middle of it.
“The war made him the man he was for the rest of his life, and it shaped all our family really.
“His determination got him through everything he had to face during his life.”
Mr Corbett died last month aged 96.
He leaves behind three children – Julie and her brothers Robert, 71, and Philip, 62 – as well as nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Mr Corbett was married twice, to Edna and Lily. As a character, Julie said it was her father’s keen sense of humour which marked him out.
She explained: “He was a real comedian and he could light up any room.
“He would always be teasing or joking around and was so full of fun. Even when he was ill at the end he tried to wind up the nurses – they said they had never had someone like dad to look after before.” In his later years, Mr Corbett eagerly awaited his annual trips to Normandy to mark D-Day memorials.
He was awarded the Legion d’Honneur, France’s highest decoration, in 2015.
Mr Corbett’s 1945 and France and Germany War medals were also on display at his funeral. Julie said: “He was like a celebrity in Normandy when he went back. The youngsters out there used to ask him for stories and he used to love going back.
“Those trips to France kept him going every year. He didn’t feel he deserved the Legion d’Honneur, but he used to tell everyone he was a Sir in France.
“Dad used to say he had accepted it on behalf of everyone who didn’t return home.”
