Kim Morgan, war veteran awarded the French Legion of Honour medal

Morgan received the medal in mail.

"I went downstairs to my mailbox and there it was. I couldn't believe it," said Morgan

The French Embassy works with Veterans Affairs Canada to recognize Canadians who served in that country.

Morgan was one of 234 Canadians to receive the honour this year.

Morgan’s father was the main inspiration for her to join the army.

"My father was in the First World War for four years and it became a family tradition," said Morgan.

In June of 1940, Morgan’s family had moved to Scotland to serve with the Scottish Command.

Morgan was recruited as a driver/mechanic with the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY), a women's military corps of nurses and drivers.

For four years, she served in the transport unit.

When Morgan learnt that Europe might be attacked by the Allies in 1943, she was transferred to the FANY company in London.

"I heard the 23rd Army was planning on trying to relieve the French from the Germans, who were the enemy at the time, and there was nothing I would enjoy more than joining in," she said.

The nightly air raids in London filled her passion to see action.

"We knew the bombs were coming over and there was nothing we could do about it. So, we tended to sort of put our backs to the wall and hope for the best."

On June 6, 1944, she learnt about the starting of Allied invasion of Normandy, and Morgan was on her way to Normandy.

"We had to drive over on a swaying boat, and then on a bridge … from the boat to actually land in Normandy."

Morgan stayed in coconut-matted trenches in Bayeux, five kilometres from the British forces’ attempts to capture the city of Caen.

"They were quite cosy actually," she reminisced almost fondly.  "Except when occasionally shrapnel would come from some distance and land on your roof."

Morgan used to drive the senior staff along mine-lined roads.

She recalled one terrifying drive through the flattened city of Caen while she was dropping off a brigadier.

"Driving back, I was sent on my own and that was not nice at all, because it was total darkness. There were no military signs left. I was lost totally."

Upon seeing a Jeep, Morgan followed it back to base, unaware if the driver was friend or an enemy.

But she got back safely that night.

When the Germans retreated and the Allies moved into Brussels during mid-1945, Morgan was in Germany.

"In Berlin, we were shown what had been going on where and that was unspeakable, of course," said Morgan.

She did not elaborate on this.

"I do remember seeing in spite of all that, there were children and families that … had obviously still maintained something in order to survive and yet amazingly they look incredibly clean and tidy and almost well-dressed. It made one want to weep. It was very moving."

When Morgan's family learnt that the French government had begun to award those who helped the French effort in the war, they contacted authorities in France and were successful in locating Morgan's records.

"They said, 'Yes, we've found her and we've found some interesting stuff.'"

Awarding of the Legion of Honour was organized by the Consular officials in Toronto.

Many of Morgan's fellow veterans were not alive and could not get the award

"What I'm sorry about, of course, is because of my age, I was one of the lucky ones who was able to actually see it and thank them so much for recognizing that we were a great help in getting them back their country."

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)