Hero's medal for Fred, 104

Fred Lloyd, 104, was at Uckfield Civic Centre to receive the Legion D'Honneur from the Lord Lieutenant of Sussex, Mrs Phyllida Stewart-Roberts.

Born in 1898 at Copwood, Rocks Road, Uckfield, Frederick worked in his youth as a gardener for the Streatfield family.

He first saw active service in 1916, at the age of 18, when the Royal Artillery sent him for training at Portsmouth.

However, many of his fellow trainees were killed by an outbreak of meningitis and Frederick himself only survived after a spell in hospital.

After leaving hospital, he was posted to tape, in northern France. Despite having little experience of riding, Frederick was placed in the Veterinary Corps and was charged with bringing replacement horses used for pulling supplies and artillery up to the front line.

Gas

He said: 'I would ride up on one and lead another three up. I brought back the sick and blind horses. There were a hell of a lot of blind horses. They never did find out what caused it. I don't know whether it was the exposure or the gas.'

Fred, one of a family of eight sisters and seven brothers, tragically lost two brothers in the Great War; Bill, 22, who served with the Scots Guards and Tom, 32, who was in the East Kent regiment.

'They had a terrible time of it,' he said. 'I probably wouldn't be here if I hadn't got meningitis; I would have been in the field. But it wasn't a picnic for me either.'

Fred, who lives at Thornbury Residential Home in Hempstead Road, is looking forward to his 105th birthday next year. He said: 'I'll get there alright. My legs are the oldest part of me but my I'm glad to say I've still got the use of my nut!

'I think I'll go on a bit longer I'm fairly fit and I don't take any pills. I think I'm the only one here who doesn't!

Five fellow World War One veterans attended yesterday's presentation to offer support to Fred. Modestly, Fred said: 'This is a lot of fuss over nothing for me; I don't like it. But I didn't want to let the old boys down.'

The Legion D'Honneur was originally only awarded to French soldiers but in 1998 was extended to all allied servicemen who saw active service in France.

Fred, who has six great-great grandchildren, was accompanied at the presentation by his 80-year-old son, also called Fred.

There are only 44 known survivors of the Great War in Britain.