A D-Day hero tragically died after choking on his full English breakfast at a care home for veterans, an inquest was told. Frederick Temple, who spent his last years in an ex-forces residential home in Portsmouth , passed away at the age of 97 while tucking into one of his favourite meals. Before he died in August 2023, the former Royal Marine Frederick was celebrated as one of the last survivors of the Allied Forces' Normandy beach landings in 1944.
It is estimated that only about 100 of those involved in the historic operation are still alive today. The inquest into Mr Temple's death revealed that in his later life, he had mentally "regressed" to his time in service, often asking care home staff to "see the captain of the ship". The hearing was told that the veteran, who dedicated 22 years to serving his nation, epitomised the "typical military man", being both "determined" and "frustratingly stubborn.
" The day before he died, Frederick experienced a similar choking incident, and a coroner has now determined that dementia likely played a role in the fatal event. Frederick was born in Glasgow in 1925, the Portsmouth Coroners Court in Hampshire heard. At just 16, he left home to join the Marine Cadets and waited until he was old enough to enlist properly.
The veteran rose to the rank of Coxwain, serving aboard the SS Empire Cutlass, where he played a crucial part in three missions transporting British troops to Sword Beach on D-Day, reports the Daily Record . His service span.