Wartime hero honoured at Norwich game

The Club was honoured to play a part in celebrating the 103rd birthday of a wartime hero at our match against Norwich City on Wednesday night.

Major Kenneth George Mayhew, RMWO, and his wife, Patricia, were guests of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands at the new stadium.

RMWO stands for Ridder Militaire Willems Orde, translated as Knight in the Military William Order. Mr Mayhew is one of the only four bearers of this highest honour of the Netherlands, comparable to the British Victoria Cross, presented for ‘performing excellent acts of bravery, leadership and loyalty in battle’ during World War Two.

Conscripted in 1939, Mr Mayhew served as an officer of the 1st Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment. He commanded a company which landed in Normandy as part of D-Day in 1944 and fought in the North West Europe Campaign.

During battles in the Netherlands, Mr Mayhew's company took part in the liberation of Weert, Venray and Overloon. He was injured in 1944 but returned to his company to fight on, against the orders of his doctors. He was injured again in 1945 and this time returned to England.

Now based in Norwich, Mr Mayhew is a Canaries fan and Season Ticket Holder and invited to Wednesday night’s game by the Embassy of the Netherlands as a belated birthday present - his 103rd birthday was on Saturday - and out of gratitude for ‘what he did for our country’.

There was a special moment after the game as two Dutch international goalkeepers - Michel Vorm and Norwich’s Tim Krul - met the party and presented signed shirts to Mr Mayhew.