To mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day we wanted to share this incredible 'then and now' photo of Bernard #Hove #DDay pic.twitter.com/pQrc1FnXFY — Gracewell Healthcare (@GracewellHealth) June 6, 2014

When a nursing home reported an 89-year-old veteran missing, everyone feared the worst – but it turned out he’d secretly gone to France to mark the anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Bernard Jordan, who served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, had not returned to The Pines care home in Furze Hill, Hove, after a trip into town yesterday.

This led the home to call police but, after an evening of worry, they were notified by another veteran that Mr Jordan was on a coach to France.

The pensioner, who had left the home with his medals at 10.30am, has now personally told the care home his friends are going to make sure he gets back safely.




A spokesman for The Pines denied the veteran had been banned from attending the D-Day events, as reported by some media outlets, although they did admit that his trip to the continent was unplanned.

Mr Jordan said he wanted to be in Normandy to mark the 70th anniversary of the Allied landings on D-Day (Picture: AP)

‘Mr Jordan was reported missing to the police yesterday evening as a matter of caution because he did not return from his normal trip to town and, when he left, had not told us he was still intent on trying to get to Normandy,’ he said.

‘At no stage was he banned from going to the commemorations.’

Gracewell Healthcare, which runs the care home, has since tweeted pictures of Mr Jordan.

World leaders and veterans gathered by the beaches of Normandy to mark the occasion (Picture: AP)