A WELLINGTON man has revealed how his cousin played a pivotal role in helping to plan the invasion of France in 1944, before seizing a German Swastika amid intense fighting in Germany.

David Hawkings has told of his immense pride in cousin Charles Maxwell Hastings, who was mentioned in Dispatches for his contribution to the defeat of the Nazis.

At the outbreak of the war, Charles was working as a bank manager for the Royal Bank of Scotland. He quickly volunteered to join the British Army, keen to join his brother Jack, who was serving in the RAF in the war effort.

David explained that after enlisting with the Ordnance Corps, Charle’s handle on numbers saw him speedily promoted up the ranks.

He said: “Charles was stationed in the Ordnance Corps, based in Whitehall. After they discovered he could add up, they put him in charge of wages. He was made a sergeant and before too long was promoted to the rank of Major.”

Charles was later charged with helping to draw up plans for the D-Day Invasion, and kept in his possession a number of original documents which he would later submit to be exhibited in the Imperial War Museum.

A copy of the manual provided by the museum showed instructions concerning granular details of the mission, including on the use of equipment, vehicles, protocols and muster points.

For his services in helping to draw up the plans Charles was mentioned in dispatches by the War Office for recognition of his “gallant and distinguished services in North West Europe.”

But Charles would not be confined to his desk for long; as the war raged in Europe he was deployed to the continent to lead troops in the thick of heavy fighting, and is credited with capturing the Krupps armaments factory.

The weapons manufacturing plant has been described as the "weapons forge of the German Reich", and was the target of a massive Allied bombing campaign. When Charles and his men advanced on the factory, the remaining German guards retreated. Charles is said to have strolled in, pulled down a German Swastika, and hoisted a Union Flag.

David explained how his older cousin was very modest and sensitive to talking about the war. On one occasion Charles revealed to him a harrowing incident, when after taking over a French estate being used as a German holdout, prisoners who had been held in the basement were discovered to have been killed as the Axis forces fled.

Charles is said to have revisited the site in his later years, which is now a hotel, to pay his respects. “It's difficult to tell whether he was scarred from the experience, he was a pretty tough chap.” David said.

David, whose father was killed during World War 2, said it was important to keep the memory of those who sacrificed alive. He said: “People gave their lives for our freedom and we mustn’t forget them.”

After the war, Charles maintained a role in public life, striking up a friendship with John Major, and meeting Margaret Thatcher in her constituency of Finchley to help open up a care home.

He was also credited in newspapers of record for his successful lobbying campaign to remove a ‘stamp duty’ charge which then imposed a fee on the writing of cheques.

Charles passed away in 2004 at the age of 93, leaving behind a son and daughter with whom David says he maintains a strong connection. Asked whether young people would answer the call of duty in the same style today, he said: “It's difficult to know whether youngsters would do the same today. Perhaps when the first bomb dropped they’d change their attitude and I’m sure they’d find their fighting spirit.”