Ken Hay, a Normandy D-Day veteran who survived being captured by the Nazis, died at the age of 101. Hay, from Upminster in east London, served in the 4th Dorset infantry regiment and landed at Courseulles-sur-Mer days after the Allied invasion.

He was taken prisoner during a night patrol on July 7-8 and was held in Zabrze, Poland, where he worked in a coal mine. The British Normandy Memorial, for which Hay served as an ambassador, announced his death, stating he "gave everything to support the Trust's work in sharing the message of Remembrance."

"His passion for education was unwavering," the organization said in a social media statement. "The countless schoolchildren whose lives he touched with his stories of courage and resilience nicknamed him 'Grandad Ken.'"

Recalling his capture, Hay told the Press Association in 2024 that his initial feelings were of "dread" and "fear." His patrol of 30 men was meant to destroy a self-propelled gun but ended up behind enemy lines. Of the 16 who made it back, including his brother, Hay was among five captured.

As Russian forces advanced, prisoners were marched approximately 1,000 miles to a new location, a journey during which many died. Hay recounted a moment during the three-month march when he felt he could no longer continue and "lay down to die," but two friends helped him continue. He was eventually liberated by American troops and returned to the UK on May 4, 1945.

After the war, Hay was appointed an MBE for services to the community and received the French Legion d'Honneur. He regularly visited British schools to share his wartime experiences, believing it was his "duty to pass it on." He often told a story of being asked by a 13-year-old how wars could be stopped, to which he replied, "Love. Love yourself, your friends, your family at home, the people you met today, the people you met yesterday. If we could all do that, there'd be no wars."

Earlier this year, Hay attended a remembrance service in Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. He is survived by his sons, Chris and Jeremy, and his family.