Crowds to attend service to remember D-Day veteran
A D-Day veteran will be remembered at a memorial service in Southsea with large crowds expected to pay their respects.
William Augustus Silvester – known as Bill - played a part in the D-Day landings, for which he later received a Legion D'honneur medal, and spent two years in the Arctic Convoys in World War II.
Bill died in February at the age of 98 and had an unattended funeral in compliance with his wishes. However a public service to honour his life and service will be held at Southsea Model Village – the site of the disused Lumps Fort – on Saturday, June 3, from 10am to midday with a minute’s silence and wreath laying at 11am.
The ceremony has been organised in partnership between The Royal Naval Association's Portsmouth and Portsea Branch, The Model Village and The Pompey Pals Charity.
Donations will be accepted for entry to the event and will be shared between the three organisation.
Chris Pennycook, cofounder and operations manager of The Pompey Pals, said: ‘It’s going to be a well-attended event which hopefully will be a fitting tribute to Bill Silvester.
‘The Pompey Pals have been involved with several local D-Day veterans in the past – we helped Ted Turner get his Legion D'honneur in 2015 – and it’s just an honour to have met and helped them.’
Chris added that several ‘notable dignitaries’ and senior Naval officials including admiral Sir Jonathon Band GCB, DL will be in attendance.
The service will be officiated by the Rev Ralph Barber, Chaplain of Portsmouth Naval Base and will feature music from a Royal Marine Bugler.