Picture gallery: D-Day veteran aged 98 visits The Diving Museum In Gosport to commemorate anniversary

John 'Jack' Quinn, 98, was welcomed with open arms at the historical institution at No 2 Battery in Stokes Bay Road. The Lincolnshire native was a Royal Navy Beach Commando Coxswain and was involved in the D-Day landings, which took place on June 6, 1944.

He was commemorated for his bravery after being in charge of a landing craft vessel. The veteran was awarded with a Mention in Despatches and the Croix de Guerre from the French – being one of only given on D-Day.

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Jack was also honoured with a silver star. Chairman of the Historical Diving Society, Mike O’Meara – who joined the Royal Navy himself when he was 17 and qualified as a Clearance Diver – said it was a pleasure for Jack to pay them a visit.

Speaking yesterday morning (June 9), he said: ‘We’re very honoured today because we had a visit from John ‘Jack’ Quin, who is a Royal Marine and during the Second World War, he was a Coxswain in charge of a landing craft assault vessel that carried a group of landing craft obstacle clearance unit (LOCU) divers.

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‘They went to shore on D-Day and their job was to find all the obstacles which the Germans had put down to prevent any invasion, to remove them, and deal with the explosives that they had on them.

‘It is very important to have Jack with us. He is a direct link. He was there. We’re a museum and he is our connection with the past and these events. He is as sharp as a button and has a great recollection of what happened.’