Dozens of British veterans who helped liberate France in the Second World War are still waiting for their medals. They were promised the Legion d’Honneur – France’s highest national award – five years ago by then president Francois Hollande. He said all those who fought on D-Day on June 6, 1944 would be eligible, along with troops who had taken part in the battle to free his country from Nazi rule. D-Day veteran Ted Turner, 89, is awarded the 'Legion dHonneur' by Captain Francois Jean, the Consul Honoraire of France, on behalf of French President Francois Hollande, at a ceremony at the Royal Marines Museum in Southsea on March 23, 2015 French President Francois Hollande reads a note as he waits for guests aboard the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier off shore near Toulon, southern France, on August 15, 2014, as part of ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of the Allied landing in Provence But it emerged last night that at least 75 Britons have still not received their gongs from the French. Today marks 75 days until the 75th anniversary of D-Day. The veterans are now well into their 90s and following years of delays it is feared they will not live to receive their awards. Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry, who uncovered the problem, said: ‘The people of Britain and France owe a huge debt to the courage of those brave soldiers, sailors and airmen who led the D-Day landings 75 years ago, and liberated France over the following months. ‘And it is right that France has recognised our surviving veterans with its highest national honour. ‘So I hope the French authorities in particular, as well as our own Government, will pull out all the stops to ensure that these 75 confirmed veterans, and the 14 others whose applications are pending, receive the medals they are due before the 75th anniversary in June, and know that our two nations will remain ever grateful to them for the freedom they won for us.’ The scheme is handled jointly by the Ministry of Defence and the French embassy in London. Last night the MoD confirmed that 75 British veterans were still waiting to receive their Legion D’Honneur. Of these, 68 are waiting for the French to process their applications. D-Day and Normandy 1944 British veterans watch a Rescue demonstration as a part of the 72th Anniversary of D-Day in Arromanches, Normandy, on Monday, June 6, 2016 There are another seven whose applications have been confirmed by the MoD but are waiting to have them sent to the French. A further 14 cases are being held by the MoD while officials seek more information. On the 70th Anniversary of D-Day, President Hollande announced that all British soldiers involved were eligible for the Legion d’Honneur. But the scheme was hit with delays, because the MoD was not expecting the level of demand and ministers were forced to apologise for the ‘hurt and upset’ caused. Some 5,500 of the medals have now been awarded at special ceremonies throughout the UK, often presided over by the French ambassador. French President Francois Hollande attends a ceremony to pay tribute to the French resistance during the Second World War at the Porte Avion Charles De Gaulle in Toulon on August 15, 2014 Among those who received his medal in 2016 was Michael Laine from Hayle in Cornwall. As a 19-year-old, he was a midshipman serving aboard HMS Ramillies during the Normandy landings, supporting airborne troops fighting to take Pegasus Bridge. At the time he said: ‘I’m very fond of France so this, in my twilight years, is something really very very special.’ The Mail is also backing a campaign to raise £9million for a memorial for the more than 22,000 British servicemen who fell in the liberation of France. Britain remains the only Allied country without a national memorial to its fallen in Normandy during the Second World War.All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility