WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
Queen leads Royals in tribute to fallen heroes
THE Royal Family paid tribute last night to those who risked and lost their lives fighting for Britain.
The Queen was joined by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex sat with the monarch in the royal box of London’s Royal Albert Hall.
It is the first time the Cambridges and Sussexes have appeared in public together since Harry and Meghan told of their struggles in a TV documentary last month.
But it was the 44 British and Commonwealth veterans of the Second World War who took centre stage as they recalled events that saw Britain and her allies fight to defend freedom. They received a standing ovation as they were introduced to the crowd at the start of the show. While some celebrated life, others remembered comrades who did not make it home. Walter Beall, 95, was the leading wireman for the Royal Navy’s tank landing craft 836. “I landed in Normandy in 1944 at Utah Beach, we took American soldiers every time,” said Mr Beall, from wiltshire, who was recently awarded France’s Legion d’honneur. He added: “It’s remembering all the old friends that never came back that’s why I’m here.”
Joseph Hammond, 94, from Ghana, was part of the 82nd division of the Royal West African Frontier Force.
He fought Japanese forces in Burma and received the Burma Star medal.
He said: “The feeling here is marvellous because we laid down our lives for this nation so that we achieved peace for the whole world. I’m proud that I defended the British Empire.”
Mervyn Kersh, 94, of Cockfosters, north London, was a technical clerk with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, which supplied military vehicles during the Normandy Landings.
He said: “I’m very proud. I went ahead of my unit as a volunteer for reconnaissance. I thought it was important.”
The two-hour show involved military bands, culminating with the Last Post as more than a million poppies, representing all those lost in conflict, floated down on to the audience.