Mr Parsons, 95, has been a resident of the Berry Masonic Village since June, and was honoured by the French Government for his contribution to the D Day Invasion during World War II.

The recognition was for his work as a navigator on the Lancaster Bombers, with the specialist squadron called the Pathfinder Force.

A Flight Lieutenant, he flew 57 missions over Germany and France between 1943 and 1945.

The Pathfinders located and marked the targets for the main bomber force.

“We flew in first, dropped flares over the targets, lighting up the targets for the remaining squadron members to easily locate their objective, before releasing our payloads,” Mr Parsons said.

Mr Parsons was one of nine Australians to be presented with the medal in a special presentation in Sydney at the war memorial at Hyde Park.

“I’m extremely proud. This is a great honour,” he said.

“That’s all I can say, it’s a great honour. It is also a beautiful medal.”

His operations were mainly over German cities but in the months prior to and after D Day he was also involved in many operations in France.

D Day was June 1944, with Mr Parsons and the squadron spending months before hand battering the German positions on the French coast.

During the invasion there were operations every night attacking the coast battery.

These continued relentlessly through July, August and September, day and night.

Many of the planes did not return to England.

“I did 57 missions. That was well above the norm,” he said.

“I think the average was about 14.”

Originally training as a teacher, he enlisted in 1942 and following months of training in Australia, sailed to England for active service.

His daughter, Barbara Smith, was present at the medal presentation and a special morning tea held in Berry on Monday.

“We are extremely proud of dad and especially this particular award,” she said.

“We always watch every Anzac Day march in Sydney. We have a special place we meet and watch the march and see him with the Pathfinders force.

“It is a great family get together for us.”

After the war he was offered one of the first positions with Qantas.

The early days of Qantas provided plenty of pioneering experiences. He navigated the first flights to Tokyo and Singapore in 1946 and Johannesburg in 1954.

His war experience also came to the fore, in those early years the crews flew converted Lancaster Bombers before the new Constellations and Super Constellations came into being.

“The converted Lancasters were pretty rough,” he laughed.

“But things improved with the Constellations.”

He remained with the company for 31 years, until 1976 when he retired as chief navigator but  not before transporting the Queen on one of her visits down under.

He was also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross among a host of other medals for his service.

The Legion of Honour, an order established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802.