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A Dunkirk hero has revealed how she became a woman in her 70s and is now one of Britain's oldest transgender people at the age of 98.

Louise Jennings, from Sheffield, was just 26 years old when she fought in World War Two as Robert.

Ms Jennings has now talked about her life and career as a soldier .

She described how, during the infamous Battle of Dunkirk, she collapsed in exhaustion before rowing out to a British destroyer warship waiting to pick up troops.

Years later, in her 70s, she underwent gender reassignment surgery to become a woman.

(Image: Sheffield Star/SWNS)

The newly released Christopher Nolan film, Dunkirk, has brought back memories for the veteran who can still remember the chaos of the beach evacuation in France.

Louise said: "When we got to France we were lined up and started to walk inland.

"But when we got a few miles from the sea, it was 'halt-turn about and march back'.

"We had to get back to Dunkirk. I was extremely tired and extremely hungry. God knows what we were doing there.

(Image: Sheffield Star / SWNS.com)

"There was no use being scared. I was very lucky - I could have been involved in all sorts of things, but I wasn't."

Louise lived as a man for 70 years of her life and was happily married to wartime sweetheart Edith for more than four decades.

But Robert knew something wasn't quite right and after Edith died of cancer in 1989, he decided to act on the feelings he had kept secret for years.

(Image: Sheffield Star / SWNS.com)

Louise said: "I have always regarded women as superior. As a man I considered myself inferior to women.

"I took the decision not long after Edith died - I don't think I spent a long time thinking about it. I rather felt that I was wrong anyway."

Robert underwent full gender reassignment surgery and adapted his middle name, Louis, to become Louise.

(Image: Sheffield Star/SWNS)

Louise's personality has been influenced and encouraged by her talent as an artist.

Her home is full of sketches and models for bigger pieces, and many of the originals are on display around her home city.

Among that number is a painting of Dunkirk, which hangs in the Graves Gallery in Sheffield.

The piece captures the sheer mass of people on the French coast, with the boats in the water lit up by gunfire in the sky.

(Image: Sheffield Star / SWNS.com)

Despite being called up to the Army in 1939 aged 20, Louise was part of the intelligence team in the Durham Light Infantry 10th Battalion.

She spent the bulk of the war up to that point helping frontline troops from a base at Walworth Castle near Darlington.

Louise has fond memories of her marriage, describing Edith as "a very sweet person indeed".

(Image: Sheffield Star/SWNS)

Although it was after Edith's death that she took the decision to become a woman, Louise is hopeful her late wife would have some understanding.

She said: "Edith knew that whatever I did, it would be honest."