Gosport brewery creates beer to honour D-Day veteran who is sharing his story with Southsea museum for the first time

AN UNTOLD account of the D-Day landings has been shared with The D-Day Story museum in Southsea – and a Gosport brewery has honoured the visiting veteran with a special brew.
By Richard Lemmer
Published 18th Jul 2021, 04:55 BST
George Edward Carpenter with his family, Christine Croft and Peter Carpenter, Cllr Jamie Hutchinson, Mike McGeever and Andy Burdon at The Powder Monkey, Gosport Picture: Habibur RahmanGeorge Edward Carpenter with his family, Christine Croft and Peter Carpenter, Cllr Jamie Hutchinson, Mike McGeever and Andy Burdon at The Powder Monkey, Gosport Picture: Habibur Rahman
George Edward Carpenter with his family, Christine Croft and Peter Carpenter, Cllr Jamie Hutchinson, Mike McGeever and Andy Burdon at The Powder Monkey, Gosport Picture: Habibur Rahman

George Edward Carpenter was unaware of the D-Day Story museum in Southsea until his family came across stories in The News about the museum’s renovations of LCT 7074, a Second World War landing craft similar to the one George served in.

The heroic veteran celebrated his 96th birthday by recounting his experience as a signalman during the landings at Utah Beach – and the Yorkshire resident goes home with a special beer created in his honour by a Gosport brewery.

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The Powder Monkey Brewing Co. has created a commemorative version of its amber ale as a gift, with one of the brewery’s co-founders providing B’n’B accommodation for George and his family during his visit.

The LCT 7074 on Southsea Sea Front Picture: NMRNThe LCT 7074 on Southsea Sea Front Picture: NMRN
The LCT 7074 on Southsea Sea Front Picture: NMRN
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George said: ‘It’s been quite a surprise with the arrangements that have been made today.

‘I think it’s important that the coming generation (and) the people today, are aware of what has happened, because with time, things get forgotten.

‘It’s important that sometime is spent talking to children in schools and telling them how fortunate they are and what was done to protect their liberty.’

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His daughter, Christine Croft, added: ‘We were not able to celebrate dad’s 95th birthday properly last year, but this has been amazing.

‘When dad was recording his story for the museum, there were a couple of things we heard for the first time. He said he wasn’t frightened – he just hoped that he would do his duty and do it well.’

More than ten packs of the brew created in George’s honour will be up for sale, and proceeds will go towards a memorial for Gosport veteran Ron Cross, who died at the age of 100 this year and was honoured for being one of the first to land on Juno Beach during the Normandy landings.

Powder Monkey director Mike McGeever said: ‘The veterans are of a different class, aren’t they?

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‘This is are way of showing our appreciation for what they did.’

LCT 7074 is the last surviving example of a tank-carrying landing craft that served at D-Day, and currently serves as an exhibit along the seafront after a 4.7m renovation.

The special beer will be available to buy at powdermonkeybrewing.com.

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Related topics:SouthseaGosport