A CIVIC Medal was presented to eight Hillingdon war veterans at a lunch in the Civic Centre last week.

West Middlesex Normandy Veterans Association is disbanding in November and the council wanted to pay tribute to them and say thank-you for the part they played in British history.

NVA members joined senior council staff, including council leader Ray Puddifoot, the mayor, Catherine Dann, and chief executive Fran Beasley at the event.

Those who received the Civic Medal, presented by the Mayor, were D-Day veterans Myer Malin (branch chairman), Walter Hart, Fintan Dunuhoe, Jack Marsh, Patrick Underwood and Basil Groves.

In addition, two airmen who served throughout WWII received the Civic Medal: Arthur Preston, who was in Burma at the time of the Japanese Invasion and is the last member of the local Burma Star Association, and Franciszek Kornicki, who flew as part of the Polish Air Force alongside the RAF.

He was posted to Northolt with 315 Squadron in 1941.

Mr Malin, said: "It was a total surprise to receive this medal. Hillingdon has been wonderfully supportive to the West Middlesex branch and we really appreciate it."

Veteran Walter Hart added: "It is important to us that future generations learn about history and the war. War is an awful thing and it is up to future generations to prevent it happening again."

Cllr Puddifoot said: "As a borough, we are immensely proud of those who serve or who have served our country.

"We are also proud to be the home of the Polish War Memorial at Northolt, as a tribute to those brave service men from Poland who gave their lives for their freedom and ours."