'Underage' D-Day hero dies aged 102: Tributes paid to WWII commando who signed up at 17 before helping to capture Pegasus Bridge during Normandy landings
Tributes have been paid to a D-Day hero who helped capture Pegasus Bridge after his death aged 102.
Trooper Roy Cadman landed at Sword Beach at Normandy on June 6, 1944.
He was part of the relieving force for Major John Howard's legendary 6th Airborne Division paratroopers who had seized and held the strategically important bridge hours before.
Major Howard's men had been pinned down by German sniper fire so the reinforcements arrived in the nick of time.
Trooper Cadman, of 3 Commando, 1st Special Service Brigade, later recalled: 'The beach was a mass of flame and smoke, and I thought nobody could survive that.
'We went ashore with green berets, everybody else had tin hats.
'We battled our way through three or four big concrete bunkers with slits in it and guns sticking out.
'Our objective was to meet the 6th Airborne Division who captured Pegasus Bridge.
'We were in such a state that we couldn't go any further - we had not got enough men.'
The commandos regrouped and made the eight-mile dash to Pegasus Bridge before sealing the perimeter.
Trooper Cadman added: 'We had to do it, because these people [the Nazis] had to be beat.'
The soldier was born in the East End of London and signed up underage for the Army at 17 years old.
He had already served in the North African campaign and Sicily invasion when he took part in Operation Overlord.
After D-Day, his unit carried on westwards and he was involved in the ill-fated Operation Market Garden.
He was deployed as an 'eagle-eyed' sniper to protect troops crossing the Rhine from German fire.
Trooper Cadman joined the TA Parachute Regiment post-war where he completed 168 jumps and became a Company Sergeant Major.
In civilian life, he was a Concorde electrician and every year returned to Normandy with his dear friend - former commando Fred Walker - to remember fallen comrades.
Trooper Cadman, who was believed to be the last surviving member of 3 Commando, died on Tuesday at Royal Chelsea Hospital.
The father of three, who had seven grandchildren, will be buried next to his wife Doris in Sunbury on Thames, Surrey.
Dave Hemstead, of the Taxi Veterans Charity, who was Roy's driver to commemorative events, said: 'Roy landed at Sword Beach and helped relieve the paratroopers at Pegasus Bridge and secure the perimeter.
'You could be here all day talking about his exploits during the war, from North Africa to Sicily to western Europe.
'He believe he was the last surviving member of 3 Commando.
'He was a larger-than-life character and everyone loved him.'
Dick Goodwin, vice president of the charity, added: 'His friend Freddie Walker, also No 3 Commando, always said 'all we needed was a platoon of Roy's on D-Day.
'If we had more soldiers like him the war would have been over a lot sooner'.'
Tributes were made online to the 'true hero'.
Ian Allen, who runs a D-Day commemoration group, said: 'So sad to hear this news. A true hero of our nation. Rest in peace Roy.'
Jerry Josee said: 'Sad news indeed, Thank you for you service and ever present smile and humour.
'Fair winds and Calm seas Roy, it was a pleasure to have known you.'
Nigel Salter said: 'Such a sad loss a true hero.'
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