Letter: How is award decided?

I WOULD like to congratulate Douglas Austin on being awarded the very prestigious Legion d’Honneur.

I am intrigued to know what brave and courageous deeds he performed to get this award, so that his name may be added to the list of brave men Rotherham has produced.

If on the other hand he was just another soldier, called up to do his bit in the liberation of Europe, I wonder what criteria is used when selecting the recipients for this honour.  

After all, many hundreds of men landed on Gold Beach three weeks before he set foot on it.

Do they, whoever they are, just pick a name out of a hat!

Leonard Muscroft, Hawley Street, Rawmarsh