A 101-year-old Jewish Second World War veteran has received an MBE for his services to education about what he and his comrades went through.
Mordaunt Cohen, who is the most senior surviving Jewish officer to have served in the war, recieved the award on Friday.
Lt. Col. Mordaunt Cohen joined the army after hearing about the suffering of Jewish people in Nazi Germany.
He was sent deep into the jungles of Burma and Assam facing tropical disease and commanding a group of Nigerian Muslims, many of whom didn't know what a Jew was.
After the war, he became chairman of the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen.
Mr Cohen said he was “deeply humbled” to have been recognised for years he spent teaching young people about the war and his experiences.
“When I was commanding troops many miles from here, in very tough conditions, never did I even imagine that aged 101, I would receive such an honour,” he said.
“As the years go by, there are less of us around to tell our story. I look forward to continuing to educate as many people as possible in the years ahead, health permitting.”
Mr Cohen, who is originally from Sunderland but now lives a one-bedroom flat in Edgware, dedicated his award to the “soldiers who didn’t come home.”
