Commemorations of the 75th anniversary of D-Day were extra special for one World War II hero — who miraculously recovered after being nearly bludgeoned to death with a hammer two years ago.
Former Royal Marine Jim Booth was on hand for the events Wednesday and Thursday in England and France, milestones he almost didn’t reach.
“He left me for dead, but I suppose I was lucky,” Booth said in an interview with the Telegraph. “Surviving the war was pure luck and this was the same again.”
The plucky 97-year-old was attacked at his home in Taunton, England, in November 2017 by a man posing as a builder. The 40-year-old brute smashed Booth six times on the head with a claw hammer and left him for dead, the Telegraph reported at the time.
Booth, who suffered a fractured skull, came to “covered in blood” and crawled to a neighbor’s home for help.
“They told me from the fractures on my hands that I must have hit him back,” he recalled.
The veteran was among the hundreds of war heroes treated to an eight-day cruise on the Boudicca, which made stops in Portsmouth and Normandy for D-Day events.
Booth, who has four children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, attended Thursday’s commemoration in Normandy with his daughter, Vicky.
“He just pushes his way through things and always thinks of others before himself,” she said. “I’m so proud of him. He is our family hero.”
Booth was awarded the Croix de Guerre for his key role in World War II. He was in a submarine on a secret mission to reach Sword Beach in order to direct the troops in.
The feat was successful: He and his colleagues arrived at the beach on June 4, anchored below water just offshore — and were close enough to see the Germans playing soccer.
“They had no idea what was coming to them,” he said.
A storm delayed the D-Day invasion for 24 hours, leaving Booth and his comrades with a dwindling oxygen supply. It was a literal breath of relief when they got the go-ahead on June 6 to lead the Allied troops in.
“We surfaced as planned at 4:30 a.m. and it was a dream to breathe in the lovely fresh air,” Booth said. “Then suddenly the mist cleared and the sight of all the ships coming towards us was just incredible.”
