THE son of a Second World War hero has paid tribute to his father as “a generous and hardworking man who meant the world” to him.

Frederick Glover, known as Fred, died on October 31 after he was taken to hospital following a fall at home.

The ex-paratrooper, who was from Woodingdean, Brighton, contracted a chest infection which was later diagnosed as Covid-19.

The 94-year-old war hero was due to be honoured by the French next year with a street in Normandy named after him.

He will be laid to rest on Wednesday at Downs Crematorium under a guard of honour from soldiers of the Parachute Regiment.

“He meant the world to me and when he passed away I was devastated” said his son Richard Glover.

“As a family, not only were we proud of his service to his country, but we were also proud to have him as a dad, grandad and great grandad. He made such an impact on all our lives. We will miss him so much.

“He was a hardworking man. He used to be in engineering after the war. I do remember when we first moved to Woodingdean, we had a council house. He used to get home from work and go almost straight out and work on a self-build scheme so he could provide his family with their own house. That was after doing his all job all day.

“He was a very generous man. If a member of the family needed assistance, if he could, he would help.”

On D-Day, Fred and rest of 9 Battalion were charged to assault and silence the guns of a battery near the French village of Merville, to the east of the beaches.

Armed with automatic weapons, grenades and a Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife, Fred flew from RAF Brize Norton into Normandy.

Once across the Channel, fire from a German 20mm gun hit the glider’s fuselage and several men were hit. Fred was wounded in both legs.

“With the withdrawal of these German troops we are able to make our way the short distance to the battery. I needed assistance as I felt blood inside my boots and the pain is beginning to bother me,” Fred said in an interview. “My wounds were dressed and I attempted to follow my comrades but after a short distance I can go no further.”

He was later captured and taken as a prisoner of war to Hopital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière in Paris. There, Fred was able to link up with the French Resistance who helped plan his escape by staging an incident outside the hospital’s main gate while he headed to a laundry room window.

Fred, carrying a bedpan, successfully evaded the guards and was later flown back to the UK after the Paris Liberation.

After the war, Fred worked at CVA Engineering in Haywards Heath. The firm became The Worcester Valve Company and Fred was works manager.

Richard said: “To me, he was just my dad, except for those two weeks when we went to Normandy when he was hailed as a hero, as were his comrades.

“Unfortunately, every year we went over there was less and less of them. It got to the point last year where I believe there was just three. Now this year, as far as I know, it is just one. He loved his wife, Rita, and I know for a fact that he did appreciate everything I did because he told me he did and that meant a lot to me.”

At 90, Fred hit the headlines when he and fellow D-Day veteran Ted Pieri parachuted from a plane into the French field where he had been shot down by the Luftwaffe 72 years earlier. The pair later did a second jump in Salisbury in aid of the Taxi Charity.