A NEWPORT war hero who served in the D-Day landings has died at the age of 90.

Herbert Wallace, from Kingsway, served as a stoker in the Royal Navy on the HMS Drake, HMS Rupert, and the HMS Renown during the Second World War.

He was tasked with guarding merchant ships from German u-boats’ torpedoes and escorting supplies to and from the United States.

Remarkably, Mr Wallace was one of seven brothers – five of which served in the Royal Navy - to have served and survived the Second World War. His father, Private John Wallace, served in the South Wales Borderers during the First World War.

Mr Wallace would receive a number of medals for his valiant service, including the British Arctic Star and the Russian Ushakov, and met numerous members of the Royal family at ceremonies over the years, including the Queen, the Queen Mother, Prince Philip, and Prince Charles.

His daughter, Heather, 62, who cared for him in his final years, said: “His motto has always been: you die if you worry and die if you don’t.

“He was a very deep man and he never showed any worries he had.

“As a young lad, he saw a lot of horrific things that shaped him in his formative years. He was so strong and never gave in and never complained.

“When he first came home from the war, he had terrible nightmares and his father used to have to hold him through the night.

“There was no counselling or an understanding of post-traumatic stress at the time.”

Upon returning to Newport, Mr Wallace worked in James’ Sweet Factory, where he met his future wife, Peggy, before working as a crane driver at Newport docks.

A fan of rugby, he was a regular at Rodney Parade and also loved the music of Vera Lynn and Bing Crosby.

In his final years, Mr Wallace battled vascular dementia, having previously survived bowel cancer and Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He died in the Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, on April 10.

Mr Wallace is survived by his three children, Lyndon, Christopher and Heather, his nine grandchildren, and his nine great grandchildren.

His funeral will take place on Wednesday at 1.30pm at St Mary’s Church in Malpas. The procession will be led by a piper and a bugler will play the Last Post at his graveside.