A SECOND World War hero who became stranded in Norway when the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud grounded his flight home says he has been left more than £1,000 out of pocket.

But Bernard Hallas said he enjoyed every minute of his train journey from Oslo to France, where he boarded a ferry back to England. The 91-year-old had been visiting the port of Narvik, in northern Norway, to mark the 70th anniversary of the Royal Navy’s victory over Germany in the second battle of Narvik in April 1940.

After spending an extra three nights in his hotel, Mr Hallas and his carer, Barney Clifton, decided to make the journey home by train.

After an internal flight to Oslo, they embarked on a two-day 700-mile train journey through Sweden, Denmark and Germany to the port of Calais in France.

He said: “Scandinavian Airways told us if we stayed in the hotel until we could fly they would cover the costs, but my carer had to get back to his job, so we decided to go overland.

“The extra nights in the hotel cost £400, the train cost £600, the ferry cost £120 and then the train from Dover to York cost another £150.

“But we had a really good time. We met a group of girls on the train who were recorder players. One of them gave me a bottle of liqueur, a photo and a kiss – we had a fantastic time.”

Mr Hallas, who lives in Haxby, served with the Royal Marines for 15 years and was a gun captain on HMS Warspite during the second battle of Narvik.

He said: “I’ve wanted to go back to Narvik for years and I was thrilled to bits to be there on the 70th anniversary.

“It was very emotional and the tears were all the way up on the surface.”

Mr Hallas, who was awarded 13 war medals, said the Royal Navy lost two destroyers, two aircraft and 299 sailors in the battle, while the Germans lost all eight of their destroyers and 316 sailors.

“I didn’t see a lot of it, as I was locked up in a turret behind armoured doors,” he said.

“But I remember feeling exuberant because we were winning.”

During his trip, Mr Hallas was invited by the Norwegian Navy to travel on a boat to the site where the British warship, HMS Hunter, sank, and throw a poppy wreath into the sea.

He was also given flowers to lay on the graves of British sailors who died in the battle.