The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Stuart Roy Cadman, a heroic D-Day veteran and one of the last surviving members of No. 3 Commando who was known to all as Roy.
Roy passed away peacefully on Tuesday 3 June 2025 at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, aged 102.
Born in the East End of London, Roy’s life was one of extraordinary service and courage. He enlisted underage into the British Army at just 17 and went on to fight in some of the most significant campaigns of the Second World War including North Africa, the invasion of Sicily, and the historic D-Day landings.
On 6 June 1944, Roy landed on Sword Beach as part of the force sent to relieve Major John Howard’s 6th Airborne Division, who had secured the strategically vital Pegasus Bridge just hours before. His bravery continued throughout the campaign in Western Europe, serving as a sniper during the perilous Rhine crossings and later participating in the ill-fated Operation Market Garden.
After the war, Roy continued his military journey with the TA Parachute Regiment, completing an astonishing 168 parachute jumps and rising to the rank of Company Sergeant Major.
In civilian life, he worked as an electrician on Concorde a testament to his skill and precision and remained a loyal friend and comrade to fellow veterans, especially his dear friend and fellow No. 3 Commando, Fred Walker. Roy was a devoted family man, a proud father of three and grandfather to seven. He will be laid to rest beside his beloved wife, Doris, in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey.
Each year, Roy returned to Normandy to honour those who never came home, always carrying the memory of his fallen comrades. Many years he travelled to Normandy for the D Day commemorations with a group of veterans in black taxis, courtesy of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans.
London Cab Driver and Taxi Charity volunteer Dave Hemstead, who drove Roy to commemorative events said,
“Roy landed at Sword Beach and helped relieve the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry who had gone in at midnight on the 5 June to secure the bridges over the Caen canal and the Orne river. You could be with him all day talking about his exploits during the war, from North Africa to Sicily to Western Europe. I particularly enjoyed sitting with him outside Café Gondree, by Pegasus Bridge in Normandy, seeing him interact with hundreds of people over the years, who wanted to hear his story and shake his hand. He was a larger-than-life character and everyone loved him.”
Dick Goodwin, Vice President of the Taxi Charity, added:
“His friend Freddie Walker, also of No. 3 Commando, always said, ‘All we needed was a platoon of Roys on D-Day and the war would have finished sooner.’”
We salute you, Roy, a true hero, a cherished friend, and an irreplaceable part of our nation’s history.
Rest in Peace.
To find out more about the support the Taxi Charity offers to veterans or to donate visit www.taxicharity.org
