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But after persuading the pensioner, who escaped with his life at Dunkirk and also fought at Arnhem, to hand over his bank card so he could withdraw cash he pocketed £4,240 over several weeks. The conman blew the lot on booze and gambling.

When his crimes were finally discovered, police found he had stolen Mr Whitwell’s war medal and Battle of Britain brochures.

Marte Alnaes, prosecuting, told York Crown Court: “The defendant clearly abused a position of trust and deliberately targeted the victim on the basis of his vulnerability.”

Jailing Morgan for 15 months, Judge Stephen Ashurst told him: “It is not only rare but very distressing indeed for a 102-year-old war veteran to be a victim of criminal offending.

“It is clear that, not on one occasion but on a number of occasions over several weeks, you took advantage of what on any view was a vulnerable man.”

“Prison is inevitable. Those who offend against the elderly and vulnerable in society must expect to go to prison.”

Morgan, of Malton, North Yorks, admitted fraud, theft and handling stolen goods having initially denied the charges. The judge said he was pleased to hear that Mr Whitwell’s bank had refunded the stolen money.

Robert Mochrie, defending, said that Morgan was “absolutely appalled ­and ashamed by what he has done when ­he took those items in a drunken stupor, ­no doubt.”

He said Morgan had a “significant” alcohol problem and drank two bottles of vodka a day but had sobered up.

Mr Whitwell, who is now 103, was part ­of the rearguard of the British Expeditionary Force as it retreated to Dunkirk in 1940. He eventually made it to the beaches, but too late to be evacuated.

He was forced to spend more than a week in occupied France before being able to escape to Britain.

He returned to the Continent after serving in North Africa and was part of the Battle of Arnhem in 1944 when he and ­comrades went without food for nine days.

Mr Whitwell was married for more than 40 years to Iris and ­the ­couple had three children, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

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