Skip to content

Wiltshire D-Day veteran dies aged 104

The funeral of a 104 year-old World War Two veteran has taken place in Wiltshire.

Ivor Gardner was 24 years old when he took part in the Normandy Landings in France.

He fought his way into Germany before guarding prisoners of war, only returning home in 1946.

Mr Gardner, who was buried at Bromham Church near Devizes, was awarded French military honour the Legionaire de Honour for his part in the landings.

Video journalist: Dan Ayres

Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.

18 November 2024

Explore More

Big Ben strikes 11 on the first Remembrance Sunday in 1946

Watch: The first official Remembrance Sunday in 1946

Paratroopers leap off plane

Watch: Hundreds of paratroopers leap to mark daring WW2 offensive

A public air raid shelter from World War Two. There are benches running the lenght of it and a stirrup pump can be seen in the foreground on one of them. Light is coming through a rectangular door of light is at the end.

Restored WW2 bunker reopens for Heritage Open Days

Walter sits in a black jacket and white shirt. He wears a stripy tie and has medals on the jacket.

Walter Wilson: 'I painted crosses for the dead'

Hector sits looking off camera. He wears a black jumper over the top of a checked shirt.

Hector McDonald: 'You didn't realise the danger you were in'

BBC reporter Faye Kidd standing with an umbrella in a rock-filled crater

Watch: Aftermath of WW2 bomb explosion

Northern Ireland

a keep out sign on a fence

'Chaotic' few days after WW2 bomb discovered

Northern Ireland

Archive image: former London ambulanceman Mark Bailey stands outside ‘Wendy’

World War Two ambulance preserved for years to come

Centenaria Hilda Leggett sitting in an amrchair in front of a pink birthday cake in the shape of the numbers 110

'Strong-willed' woman celebrates 110th birthday

Veteran Harold Terens and his wife Jeanne

'Love isn't just for young people': D-Day veteran, 100, weds bride, 96

Split screen with Joe Biden and Ronald Reagan

What two US presidents said at D-Day, 40 years apart

Keir Starmer

Starmer: Sunak has to answer for his own actions

Beacons light up to mark 80th anniversary of D-Day

President Zelensky kneels to speak to a veteran in a wheelchair

Zelensky and D-Day veteran call each other 'hero'

Veteran Ed Berthold

Veteran reads D-Day letter he sent home in 1944

Robert "Al" Persichitti

'I'm excited to be going' said US veteran before D-Day trip

Reg Pye meets Princess Anne

D-Day veteran, 100, revisits Normandy 80 years on

Town crier

D-Day commemorations across NI and France

Northern Ireland

HMS Belfast

On board HMS Belfast for D-Day anniversary

King Charles shakes hands with a D-Day veteran

Watch: Moving and spectacular D-Day commemorations

Crowds gathered at Stonehenge

Timelapse shows winter solstice sunrise at Stonehenge

Crowds gathered at Stonehenge on Saturday morning to mark the annual winter solstice.

Floodwater overwhelming a weir in Chippenham.

Town experiences 'worst flooding since the 1960s'

Residents and businesses in Chippenham are cleaning-up after flooding caused by Storm Bert.

An aerial shot of a playground in Bradford-on-Avon submerged in floodwater

Wiltshire town submerged in Storm Bert flood water

Parts of Chippenham are submerged in flood water after it was battered by Storm Bert.

Salisbury Cathedral as the backdrop to illuminations

Stunning Illumination showcase returns to Cathedral

The installation explores humanity’s connection with time through soundscapes and visual display.

view from the spire of Salisbury Cathedral

Changing the bulb on UK's tallest cathedral spire

Staff climb more than 400ft to change the Salisbury Cathedral spire light bulb every four years.

Two parrots looking at eachother

Couple love showing people their 20 rescued parrots

David and Gill Vickery give a home to a host of birds after taking in two cockatiels 40 years ago.

A man and a woman dressed in Regency clothing. He is wearing a purple tunic with gold buttons, and she has a pink and white dress on with a blue frilly bonnet.

Jane Austen fans step back in time for festival

Regency costumes and afternoon tea for fans from around the world at annual gathering.

Lyneham Banks in Wiltshire. The road is wonky with fallen trees after a landslip.

Repair work begins on Wiltshire's 'wonkiest road'

The construction team working on the road say it is a "challenging" task.

Two skydivers prepare to jump from a plane above countryside on a sunny day

Skydivers take on Armed Forces Championships

More than 100 skydivers are competing for medals in the skies over Wiltshire.

Dan Thomas sitting on a tattoo couch holding the leg of his shorts up to show the tattoo, which is the Euros cup with the words: "England Euro 2024 Winners"

England fan admits Euro winners tattoo is 'bonkers'

But Dan Thomas says he is confident the Three Lions will win at Euro 2028.

Brian Matthews

New Lib Dem MP says party will be 'tail wagging Labour dog'

Brian Matthew is the new MP for the Devizes and Melksham constituency.

Man holding hand up to face while holding mobile phone and drink can

'What is wrong with you?' - Tory team object to filming

Members of the former Chippenham MP's team attempted to stop cameras filming her departure.

Robert Buckland

Former MP 'fed up with performance art politics'

Former MP Robert Buckland said he wanted the Conservatives to get back to 'doing stuff well'

A crowd watches a brass band play on the lawn of a hospice in Wiltshire.

Royal Marine musicians play for bandmate 'one last time'

The Royal Marine Band plays for one of its band members Sophie, who is terminally ill.

Doris sitting on a bench

'I'm doing it for the residents' - woman, 100, walking laps of care home

Doris Maslen, a resident at Marden Court in Calne, Wiltshire, walks up to two laps a day.

The sun visible at sunset through one of the structures at stonehenge

Stonehenge celebration takes place after powder paint protest

English Heritage say they removed the paint ahead of thousands of people celebrating the summer solstice.

Summer solstice at Stonehenge

'It's a spiritual experience, completely moving'

Summer solstice is one of the rare occasions when visitors can touch the stones.

Domenico Mazzotta is celebrating 50 years of serving ice creams to the people of Wiltshire.

Celebrating 50 years of serving ice cream

Domenico Mazzotta is celebrating five decades of serving summer treats to the people of Wiltshire.

A view of a police dashcam with a small motorbike in the distance on a rural road

Biker avoids jail after 120mph rush-hour chase

Dashcam footage shows a motorcyclist travelling down the road at speeds in excess of 120mph.

Tiger looking towards the camera with two cubs between her front legs

Rare tiger cubs born at safari park

New Amur tiger cubs at Longleat Safari Park give a vital boost to the European breeding programme.