He'd staged a "great escape" from his care home to join fellow war veterans on a beach in Normandy, commemorating their fallen comrades. It was a story that captured the imagination of the world - Bernie seemed to embody the defiant, "can-do" spirit of a generation that was fast disappearing. But of course, it wasn’t the whole story. Bernie's adventure, spanning a mere 48 hours, also marked the culmination of his 60-year marriage to Irene (Glenda Jackson).