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Police make arrest after vicious hammer attack on 96-year-old D-Day hero

D-Day veteran Jim Booth, who was attacked at his home, dancing with the Duchess of Cornwall dancing (Eamonn M. McCormack/PA Wire)
D-Day veteran Jim Booth, who was attacked at his home, dancing with the Duchess of Cornwall dancing (Eamonn M. McCormack/PA Wire)

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a suspected claw hammer attack on a D-Day veteran in his home.

Jim Booth, 96, answered a call at the door of his home in Taunton, Somerset, on Wednesday.

The cold caller asked Mr Booth whether he wanted any work done and attacked the veteran when he refused.

It is believed that a claw hammer was used to attack Mr Booth, who suffered serious injuries to his head and body.

Police arrested a 39-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder and aggravated burglary on Friday morning.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said Mr Booth, who was taken to hospital after the attack, is in a ‘serious but stable’ condition.

Detective Chief Inspector James Riccio said: ‘We’ve made an arrest following investigative work carried out since the attack on Wednesday.’

He thanked members of the public who had phoned in with information about the incident.

Jim Booth pictured alongside Prince Charles and others
Jim Booth pictured alongside Prince Charles and others

Mr Booth was attacked between 4pm and 5pm. He managed to raise the alarm with a neighbour before being taken to hospital.

His condition after the attack was described as ‘potentially life-threatening’.

Mr Booth had joined the Royal Navy as a seaman at the age of 18, serving throughout the war.

He became part of the Combined Operations Pilotage and Reconnaissance Parties (COPP), which was set up in 1943.

Aged 23 he became a submarine pilot for the X-craft – tiny submarines that waited on the seabed for days at a time.

His team sailed from Portsmouth to Normandy to scout out where the British could safely land.

On D-Day, Mr Booth climbed into a fold-up canoe and shone a beacon out to sea to guide Allied craft safely to shore.

He was later awarded the Croix de Guerre military medal by the French for his gallantry.

In August 2015, Mr Booth joined the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall for a reception in the grounds of Westminster Abbey.

During the party, which was hosted by the Royal British Legion, Mr Booth took to the floor for a dance with Camilla.

Speaking about his role in D-Day, Mr Booth told the BBC in 2011: ‘This operation was special, because Normandy was special and unique, and it was critical in winning the war.’

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The COPP wartime military base was set up on Hayling Island in 1943 under the instruction of Lord Mountbatten.

Small teams of sailors and soldiers were trained as frogmen and canoeists for covert beach explorations prior to landings to enemy occupied territory.

The servicemen were trained to search selected coastlines to ensure the safe landing of tanks and heavy armoured vehicles on enemy land.

Their work was vital to the success of many landings across the world, in particular the D-Day landings.

In July 2015, Charles attended a service on Hayling Island seafront in Hampshire to pay tribute to those who served in COPP.

Mr Booth laid a wreath beside one placed by Charles, who is patron of the COPP Heroes Memorial Fund, during the ceremony.