A local D-Day veteran will be launching this year’s Poppy Appeal in Tenby tomorrow (Saturday) in what will be his 68th year collecting donations for the campaign.

Normandy veteran Mr. Gordon Prime, now in his 90s, will join an army of charitable volunteers across the nation to distribute the iconic paper poppies, collecting donations in return to raise vital funds to support current and former Armed Forces personnel and their families.

President of the Tenby branch of the Royal British Legion, Mr. Prime was one of 22 veterans chosen to receive France’s highest decoration, the Legion d’Honneur medal, during an emotional return to Normandy for the 70th anniversary of D-Day in 2014.

He received the honour in recognition of his remarkable service in liberating occupied France when serving as a motorcycle dispatch rider.

Back in 2012, Mr. Prime, of Jameston, was also presented with a poppy badge and clasp at the Lord Lieutenant Poppy Appeal Cadet Awards for South West Wales, in recognition of his 60 years plus as a poppy collector.

Mr. Prime, who has been collecting for the Poppy Appeal since 1948, said that he always says to himself that “every year will be his last,” but that he finds himself still going, and can now rely on the extra help of his electric mobility scooter to take him around Tenby whilst collecting.

“We hope to break the record again this year for donations, which currently stands at just over £10,500 from last year,” said Mr. Prime.

The RBL Poppy Appeal will be launching at Tenby’s Sainsburys store tomorrow (Saturday) at 11 am, with a collection stall running up until Remembrance Sunday, on November 13.

All local RBL Poppy Appeal wreaths for Armistice 2016 are also now available for collection from the De Valence Pavilion, Upper Frog Street, Tenby, between 9.30 am and 3 pm, Monday to Friday.