DELAYS in a Keighley war veteran getting his D-Day medal are a “matter for the French authorities”, according to British military bosses.

Roy Smart, 95, from Laycock, is one of two old soldiers from the Bradford district who have been waiting months to get their Legion D’Honneur medals after family and friends applied on their behalf last year.

In 2014, the French Government announced it would award the highest honour France can give to all surviving veterans involved in the D-Day landings, but it has been inundated with more than 4,000 requests with more still arriving, resulting in a huge backlog and delays.

The applications are passed to the French authorities via the British Ministry of Defence, which revealed in a response to a Freedom of Information request that between July and September last year more than 500 awards had been approved.

It added: “The MoD continues to receive applications for the Legion d’Honnour and therefore an end date for processing applications cannot be estimated. The presentation of the awards is a matter for the French authorities. We understand that the majority will be sent in the post.”

Friend Allen Davis sent off Mr Smart's details in October and has resubmitted the information three times because he has never had a reply.

“Mr Smart is not in the best of health and time really is of the essence," said Mr Davis.

"To coin his words, 'I've done my bit now it's their turn'.”

Mr Davis has contacted Keighley MP Kris Hopkins to see if he can help speed-up the process.

Mr Smart, known to many by his nickname Dick, was a Lance Corporal with the East Riding Yeomanry when he landed on Sword Beach between 11am and noon on D-Day and was among the first of his squadron to get off the landing craft.

The other veteran still awaiting his medal is Arthur Grimshaw, 93, from Windhill, Shipley.

His daughter Elaine Dobson said she had completed all the forms and sent them off to the MoD in mid-August as part of a surprise for her dad.

She said: “I’ve heard nothing since, not even a nod that they’ve received the forms. Dad’s not bothered about a big presentation but he did his bit and deserves the recognition. He’s not exactly in the first flush of youth so it’s not fair to keep him waiting.”

Mr Grimshaw, who was in the 3rd Division of the East Yorkshire Regiment, was forewarned by a clairvoyant he would die on his 21st birthday, June 5, 1944.

Luckily for him he was saved by the weather, when the invasion was put off for 24 hours. He still bears a scar on his hand where a bullet grazed past him and hit his friend, who he tried to carry into the dunes dodging shell to shell explosion.