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FF - Your community magazine John Mcmullen awarded The Legion D’honneur
The French Government recognises the contributions made by her allies in liberating France in the Second World War and award The Legion D’honneur to John Mcmullen.
John McMullen, a former Second World War pilot in the Royal Navy, is a resident in the Colina Club Nursing and Rest Home in Calpe. On Monday, 11th July 2016, John was presented with France’s Legion of Honour. The full name is National Order of the Legion of Honour (French: Ordre national de la Légion d’Honneur) and it is the highest French order for military and civil merits, established in 1802 by Napoléon Bonaparte. The order's motto is "Honneur et Patrie" ("Honour and Fatherland"). On the 70th anniversary of D-Day in June 2014, the French President announced that the distinction would be awarded to all British veterans who fought for the liberation of France during the Second World War (veterans must have taken part in military operations in France between 1944 and 1945). One of those deserving veterans is John McMullen. John, who served from 1942 until 1946 in the Royal Navy and flew as a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm, received his award for the contributions he made to the liberation of France during the Second World War. Whilst the general public perception of the beginning of the successful liberation of France during the Second World War has been the D Day landings and Operation Overlord, a second operation, Operation Dragoon in the south west of France, was also a major contributory factor.
During his war service, John flew a number of different types of aircraft but during Operation Dragoon, he flew the US-made Grumman F4 Wildcat. John’s part in Operation Dragoon included bombardment spotting, bombing enemy airfields, destroying enemy Me 109s and other German aircraft and bombing and strafing bridges and railway
installations. The main aim of the Operation was to prevent the redeployment of enemy forces from the south of France to assist with fighting the allies in the north. The Operation was a great success. John undertook 82 operational sorties and, during Operation Dragoon from the 15th to the 29th August 1944, was based on board HMS Scorcher, an escort aircraft carrier. The presentation took place at the Colina Club and was attended by John’s daughter, Jane, his grandson Tom, Members of the Aircrew Association Costa Blanca, of which John is a long serving Member and fellow residents of the Colina Club. The presentation was made by the French Attaché De Defense, Colonel Olivier Fabre who was accompanied by Colonel Frederic Richaud, the Senior French Officer on the HQ staff of the Rapid Deployable NATO Corps near Valencia. During his presentation, Colonel Fabre expressed the gratitude of the French people for John’s wartime part in liberating France.
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