D-DAY REMEMBERED 75 YEARS ON
D-DAY REMEMBERED 75 YEARS ON: WORLD LEADERS PAY TRIBUTES
TEARS welling in his eyes, a D-Day veteran yesterday listens in solemn silence as the Queen hails his comrades who gave their lives for freedom from tyranny.
The old soldier was one of 150,000 courageous young men who stormed the Normandy beaches or parachuted into France 75 years ago today in a bid to crush Adolf Hitler’s forces of evil that gripped Europe.
When they set off across the Channel on June 6, 1944, the Queen was Princess Elizabeth – who at 18 was the same age as many of those brave men heading to the unknown.
And yesterday she stood at Portsmouth Harbour from where most of the seaborne forces left to pay tribute to the thousands who sacrificed their lives and others who pushed on to secure victory.
With world leaders including Theresa May, Donald Trump, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron by her side, the Queen told the dwindling number of veterans: “When I attended the 60th anniversary of D-Day, some thought it might be the last such event. But the wartime generation, my generation, is resilient, and I am delighted to be with you in Portsmouth today.
“Seventy-five years ago, hundreds of thousands of young soldiers, sailors and airmen left these shores in the cause of freedom.
“In a broadcast to the nation at that time, my father, King George VI, said: ‘What is demanded from us all is something more than courage and endurance. We need a revival of spirit, a new unconquerable resolve.’
“That is exactly what those brave men brought to the battle, as the fate of the world depended on their success.
“Many of them would never return and the heroism, courage and sacrifice of those who lost their lives will never be forgotten.
“It is with humility and pleasure, on behalf of the entire country, indeed the whole free world, that I say to you all, thank you.”
The ceremony honoured the biggest combined land, air and sea invasion in history. Allied forces carried from Britain on 7000 ships landed on five Normandy beaches, strafed by machine gun fire and pounded by shells. There were around 10,000 casualties, which included 4414 dead. More than 300 veterans, aged between 91 and 101, were yesterday seen struggling to contain their
emotions as the stories of their bravery and of fallen comrades were recounted.
The event started at 11.30am as the Queen and Prince Charles took their seats in the royal box.
Trump and wife Melania sat to their left and May to their right.
Along with French president Macron, German chancellor Merkel, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and Australia’s PM Scott Morrison, they watched a guard of honour formed of military personnel which marched on to the stage.
Tory leadership contenders Jeremy Hunt and Sajid Javid were at the ceremony as was Jeremy Corbyn. Prince Philip, 97, did not attend as he has stepped back from public engagements after retiring last year.
Performers provided a retelling of the World War II story up to D-Day, Operation Overlord, and the liberation of Europe. Actress Celia Imrie narrated the event on Southsea Common.
She introduced an extract from Winston Churchill’s inspirational “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” speech.
Trump read from a prayer US president Franklin D Roosevelt wrote for his troops on the eve of D-Day that spoke of freeing “a suffering humanity”.
May read the words of Army captain Norman Skinner in a letter to his wife Gladys written on June 3, 1944 – three days before he died on Sword Beach, with the note still in his pocket.
He told how he would rather be with her and their children Janey and Anne. But Norman added defiantly: “I have not yet had any wish at all to back down from the job we have to do.” But it was not all solemn. There was foot tapping as well as the years were rolled back with boogie woogie music There wasn’t a dry eye on the common when Sheridan Smith belted out Vera Lynn’s classic wartime hit We’ll Meet Again. The finale was a flypast of British and US military aircraft, finishing with the Red Arrows. Trump said goodbye to the Queen as his three-day state visit to Britain ended. Reportedly, he told her she was a “great, great woman”.
HE CUT a slight figure as he walked on to the huge stage in front of his Queen, the US President and leaders from around the world.
But the presence of old soldier John Jenkins, 99, was immense as he represented all the heroes of 75 years ago.
He stood proudly in Portsmouth to deliver an emotional tribute to every brave soul lost on D-Day and all who made it home after liberating Europe.
After the faces of pale, frightened lads captured in old photos were flashed up on a huge screen to set the stage, John said: “On D-Day I was terrified, as everyone was. But I look back on it as a big part of my life – it changed me.
“I am honoured to be here today in front of of so many other veterans.
“You never forget your comrades because we were all in it together. It is right that the courage and sacrifice of so many is being honoured 75 years on. We must never forget.”
His words brought a tear to every eye and when he had finished, the audience rose to give him a standing ovation.
John, one of 300 veterans at Southsea Common yesterday, joined the Army in 1940 and was a 24-year-old platoon sergeant in the Pioneer Corps when he landed in Normandy on June 8, 1944.
He was deployed on Gold Beach, one of the five landing points for Operation Overlord. After the landing, he pushed on through France and Germany, helping to liberate the Fallingbostel concentration camp. After the war, John worked as a bus driver then a crane operator at the Portsmouth naval base.
He continued to serve in the Territorial Army, rising to the rank of Company Sergeant Major, and received an MBE.
After delivering his moving speech, he said: “Today has been overwhelming and something that will last in my memory for a long time.
“I always think of all my mates that didn’t come back – because that comradeship was really something quite marvellous.”
As a grateful nation looked on, proud veterans with chests full of medals knew this was the last time they would gather in such numbers to remember their comrades.
And the rest of us knew this was our last chance to truly thank them for sacrificing so much for our freedom.
It was a day of high emotion and the veterans’ eyes were misting over from the moment the joint services band struck up with wartime hits such as Pack Up Your Troubles and Lily Marlene.
But the tears really started to flow when they played Hymn to the Fallen, composed by John Williams for the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan.
Images of troops landing on the beaches – Omaha, Utah, Gold, Sword and Juno – were projected on to the stage’s huge screen.
Three veterans shared their testimonies of D-Day in pre-recorded messages.
They were Brit Bert Edwards, an Able
Seaman on HMS Bellona which provided fire support to US troops on Omaha and Bob Roberts, a Canadian veteran who was the second man to land on Juno on June 6.
He recalled how the horror of what was about to unfold dawned on him when he was given live ammo, saying: “I thought, ‘Oh my God – I was not brought up to go kill people’.”
But American Eugene Deibler, a Sergeant in the 501st Airborne Regiment who parachuted in behind Utah, said: “I don’t regret it at all. I went from a boy to a man that day.”
There were also tributes to the female agents of the Special Operations Executive, to French Resistance fighters and to the technical geniuses who developed equipment for D-Day.
But it was the voices of the lost servicemen and women brought to life again through readings that touched veterans the most.
Most of the 300 were those travelling on the special Royal British Legion cruise, which will go on to Normandy for official events today.
The ceremony ended with a gun salute from Royal Navy Frigate HMS St Albans in the Solent, a flypast of 25 military aircraft including a Spitfire, a Hurricane, two Hercules and two Typhoons, then a spectacular finale by the Red Arrows.
Then, the veterans were treated to lunch and a lucky group of five men and one woman got to chat with the Queen, Prince Charles, President Trump and his wife Melania. The Queen met former Royal Marine Jack Smith, 94, a landing craft coxswain who was part of the first wave during D-Day.
When he told the Queen how bad things were, she replied: “You don’t have to tell me – I’m from the same generation.”
Afterwards, Jack said: “It was a thrill meeting the Queen, she’s marvellous and a really good egg. “It means an awful lot to be here, the day respects everybody who took part in D-Day. “A lot of people did a lot of good work that day. It respects their memory and the lads that didn’t come back.” Thomas Cuthbert, 93, from Elmstead Market, Essex, who served on a landing barge oiler anchored offshore from Utah and Omaha, chatted to Prince Charles – who served in the Royal Navy in the 1970s. Joan Berfield, 94, from Buckinghamshire, was a Wren coder on a submarine in Aden, in the Middle East, when news of D-Day came through.
She met Trump, the First Lady, the Queen and Prince Charles.
Speaking back on board the Royal British Legion’s cruise ship, she said: “It was fantastic. President Trump speaks very quietly.
“He said, ‘May I ask how old you are’ and my carer Lorraine said, ‘She will be 95 on Friday’.
“He said, ‘Happy Birthday’ and his wife shook hands with me.”
As the veterans returned to the MV Boudicca, they were cheered by locals waving flags.
Back on board, they took to the decks with Royal British Legion flags of their own for an incredible send-off from Portsmouth, en route to Normandy.
Prime Minister Theresa May, Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt and First Sea Lord Sir Philip Jones waved from the deck of aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth as ratings lined the decks, waving their caps in a traditional “Hurrah!”.
At 9pm, the ship paused off the Isle of Wight at “Piccadilly Circus”, where the D-Day flotilla had gathered on the evening of June 5, 1944.
And the RBL National President, Lieutenant General James Bashall, led a moment of reflection before the Band of the Royal British Legion played Sunset.