IN 1914 his greatgrandfather helped to defend Britain during the First World War.

Two decades later his grandfather joined the DDay landings and helped to bring an end to Hitler and his allies in Europe during the Second World War.

Now a Hampshire man is continuing in his family’s proud tradition of serving in the armed forces after graduating from Sandhurst.

Craig Tee, of Winchester, has just finished a year of intensive training at the famous military training centre to become a second lieutenant in the Royal Corps of Signals.

The 23-year-old will be responsible for communications and will be posted to some of the world’s current trouble spots, such as Afghanistan.

Craig said: “It feels pretty good to follow in the family tradition. I’m the first in my family to serve as an officer.

“I have a lot to live up to but obviously I won’t be in the same situations as my granddad and his granddad.

My granddad is immensely proud.

“It’s a daunting prospect being sent to Afghanistan but it’s something I look forward to.”

Craig’s granddad, Ernest Tee, 88, of Gordon Road, Winchester, said: “I’m very proud of Craig.

He looks marvellous in his uniform. I could tell he wanted to join the forces from a young age.”

After emigrating to Canada in 1908, Craig’s great-grandfather Henry Tee flew back to Britain during the First World War with the Winnipeg Rifles to fight in Europe.

Despite being too old, at 48, to join the Army, Henry lied about his age, telling Army bosses that he was 38, and he later found himself on the front line in both France and Belgium.

While in Europe he was blown up twice and gassed in the battlefields but survived the war and settled in the UK.

Ernest then followed in his father’s footsteps by lying about his age in 1936 to join the Territorial Army when he was just 15.

He operated searchlights and anti-aircraft machinery over the UK before joining the D-Day landings and travelling through France, Belgium, Holland and finally on to help liberate Germany.