A great war hero from York who missed out on a special medal for his service on the Western Front has been told officially that he has been awarded France's top honour.

Ernie Hick: served on the Somme at the age of 16.

In November, the Evening Press highlighted the case of 99-year-old Ernie Hick, who served on the Somme and at Passchendaele after joining up aged just 16.

But he was overlooked for a special award of the Legion d'Honneur to mark the 80th anniversary of the Armistice which ended the First World War, intended for all its surviving veterans who served on French soil.

Now his son, Ken, has revealed that the French Ambassador to Britain, Daniel Bernard, has written to Ernie telling him that President Jacques Chirac has awarded him the Legion d'Honneur in the class of Chevalier (Knight).

Ken Hick said the medal was with the Royal British Legion and arrangements were being made to present it to his father at St Olave's Nursing Home in York, where he now lives.

Ernie missed out on the medal which went to other veterans - including York's John Clemit, 101, who served in the artillery in the conflict - because his family were unaware the Royal British Legion was searching for survivors.

But Mary Allen, a nursing sister at St Olave's, raised the matter with Ernie's family and the Evening Press.

Ernie lived in Fifth Avenue, Tang Hall, until he became ill early last year. His son said Ernie had been able to read the first paragraph of his letter from the French Ambassador, and the publicity about his war service had "brightened him up tremendously".

Ken Hick added: "I'm pleased for him."

During the war Ernie was sent to France with the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, becoming a marksman and joining the Machine Gun Corps.

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