‘Bravery?We did just our jobs as well as we could’
THE greatest generation met the youngest as the last of our D-Day liberators gave an emotional salute ahead of the Normandy invasion’s 80th anniversary.
Nine lionhearts of the mighty military landings of June 6, 1944, that freed Europe mustered yesterday at London’s Union Jack Club to fulfil a final mission.
They are determined to ensure the world never forgets those who left the UK as teenagers but never returned home, and that future generations never witness the horrors they endured.
The heroes, aged 98 to 103, recounted derring-do, sorrow, loss – and pure good luck – to spellbound youngsters with little knowledge about the SecondWorld War or the Allied victory that secured the freedoms we now enjoy. It comes weeks before the veterans again set sail for the beaches of north western France, this time to honour their fallen brothers in arms.
Yesterday’s glittering gathering marked one of the last occasions the men, in blazers, regimental ties and gleaming medals, will stand tall together.
Also there to honour them – and share a song and dance or three – were 2018 Britain’s Got Talent finalists the D-Day Darlings troupe.
The event, organised by the Normandy Memorial Trust and the Spirit of Normandy Trust, brought together soldiers, sailors and pupils aged 10-14 from three London schools – Kingsford Community in Beckton, Parkwood Primary, Finsbury Park, and Norfolk House, in Muswell Hill.
Warriors Ken Hay, 98, Alec Penstone, 99, Stan Ford, 98, Henry Rice, 98, Donald Howkins, 103, Richard Aldred, 99, Gilbert Clarke, 98, John Dennett, 99, and Mervyn Kersh, 99, were feted as conquering heroes as they told poppywearing pupils how our freedom hung in the balance in the dark summer of 1944.
Family
Royal Navy veteran Alec, 99, served on HMS Campania defending the Allied armada from German U-boats and submarines.
He said: “I am lucky. I’m not a hero, I never was. The heroes are the ones who never returned. “They were like a family and I am so grateful for what they did. “Bravery? We just did our jobs and to the best of our ability.”
Ken, who scrambled ashore with his 4th Dorset Regiment at Courseulles-sur-Mer amid machine gun and mortar fire, said: “It’s still very emotional. I can’t stop thinking about the guys we left behind.”
Royal Navy signalman Henry, whose landing ship HMS Eastway ferried men and equipment to the beaches, said: “We must never forget their sacrifice and honour their memories.”
Tank driver Richard, who landed on Gold Beach the day after D-Day, told the inquisitive children of the camaraderie in his regiment.
He said: “You all stick together like glue and the main thing is, ‘How soon can I have a cup of tea and a bully beef sandwich?’.”
Stan who served on escort ship HMS Fratton, recalled seeing thousands of ships setting sail from his
station in Selsey Bill, West Sussex. He said: “As a 19-year-old, I said to myself, ‘We’re not going to lose this war’, which we didn’t.”
Chuckling, he told pupils of “humorous times” that helped his regiment get through the war.
He said: “The refrigeration system broke down so we were told to eat as much meat as we could. I remember eating a whole shoulder of lamb to myself!”
Former British Army supremo, General Lord Richard Dannatt, told the gathering: “It’s all about the veterans, bon voyage to them! Let’s take the opportunity now to get to know them, to meet them, to hear their stories, to write about their stories, to film their stories, to record their stories so that this bit of living history is captured.”
Norfolk House teacher Rob Ashton said his pupils “will remember meeting somebody who was there and they’ll tell their future generations”.
He added: “They’ll go back to school, telling other children, ‘Wow, I’ve met a veteran who was there at the war at the D-Day landing’.”
Parkwood head Paul Thomas said: “It is likely the children are the last generation that will get to meet veterans in person.”
The D-Day invasion, involving 83,000 British and Commonwealth servicemen, was masterminded by legendary Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, known to his troops as “Monty”. In a poignant comparison to the Ukraine conflict, his grandson Henry, the current Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, said: “The Normandy campaign freed Europe from an evil and oppressive regime and resulted in a prolonged period of peace in eastern Europe.
Sacrifice
“One only has to look today at what is happening in eastern Europe to realise how potentially fragile that peace is. We need to hear the story of what it took to win that freedom, international cooperation, dogged determination, a willingness to stand up for what is right and, if necessary, pay the ultimate sacrifice to achieve it.”
A total 22,442 men under British command gave their lives to liberate Nazi-occupied western Europe.