Moment 9 WW2 heroes mark 81st anniversary of D-Day with emotional trip to Normandy
FOUR World War Two heroes flew by private jet to France yesterday to mark the 81st anniversary of D-Day.
They joined five other veterans who were well enough to attend a moving service at the
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Nine veterans mark D-Day at the British Normandy Memorial
Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
5
Four of the World War Two heroes flew by private jet to France to mark the 81st anniversary
Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
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The veterans watch a flyover at the memorial
Credit: AFP
Last year more than 40 heroes were there for the landmark 80th anniversary of the day Allied troops stormed
Yesterday, The Sun was given exclusive access to fly with a quartet of veterans — all of them aged 99 and over — on a sleek 50-seat Embraer jet from Warton Aerodrome, Lancs.
Among them were Sergeant Richard Brock, now 101, and Able Seaman Ken Benbow, who turns 100
next
week.
They were both at Normandy on June 6, 1944.
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Ken was off the north French coast on HMS Crane, and saw men die in the water all around him.
Richard, a driver with the East
Lancashire
Regiment, came ashore with 130 comrades — only 19 returned home.
He was honoured to pay tribute to the fallen yesterday.
The retired master butcher, from Lancaster, said: 'When I landed on the beach just below where the Normandy Memorial stands now I was a young man of 20 who thought every day might be my last.
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'I cannot believe here I am at 101.
"We are just their spokesmen. Hopefully we will be able to come here one more time.'
Iconic RAF Red Arrows jets in danger of being replaced by Russian planes loved by Putin in move slammed as 'unthinkable'
The jet was provided by BAE Systems, which employs 12,000 people in Preston.
Also on board the flight to Caen Airport were former Fleet Air Arm Petty Officer George Boothby, 100, and Marjorie Hanson, 102.
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She, like the late Queen Elizabeth II, served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service and helped supply the D-Day landings.
The nine veterans were joined by Defence Secretary
Mr Healey listened in awe to the veterans' stories.
He later told The Sun at the Bayeux War Cemetery: 'The lesson to draw from the Second World War is never again can we contemplate the huge human and economic cost that it inflicted.
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"We see that in the darkest, strongest terms in these cemeteries.
'What it says to me is that with the allies that we forged in the Second World War, we must band together and we must be strong enough to deter any adversary, any aggression that might be directed at us in the
future
.'
5
Among the heroes were Sergeant Richard Brock, now 101, and Marjorie Hanson, 102, who served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service
Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
5
The veterans were joined by Defence Secretary John Healey for an emotional ceremony at the memorial
Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
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The Irish Sun
15 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Moment 9 WW2 heroes mark 81st anniversary of D-Day with emotional trip to Normandy
FOUR World War Two heroes flew by private jet to France yesterday to mark the 81st anniversary of D-Day. They joined five other veterans who were well enough to attend a moving service at the Advertisement 5 Nine veterans mark D-Day at the British Normandy Memorial Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun 5 Four of the World War Two heroes flew by private jet to France to mark the 81st anniversary Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun 5 The veterans watch a flyover at the memorial Credit: AFP Last year more than 40 heroes were there for the landmark 80th anniversary of the day Allied troops stormed Yesterday, The Sun was given exclusive access to fly with a quartet of veterans — all of them aged 99 and over — on a sleek 50-seat Embraer jet from Warton Aerodrome, Lancs. Among them were Sergeant Richard Brock, now 101, and Able Seaman Ken Benbow, who turns 100 next week. They were both at Normandy on June 6, 1944. Advertisement READ MORE UK NEWS Ken was off the north French coast on HMS Crane, and saw men die in the water all around him. Richard, a driver with the East Lancashire Regiment, came ashore with 130 comrades — only 19 returned home. He was honoured to pay tribute to the fallen yesterday. The retired master butcher, from Lancaster, said: 'When I landed on the beach just below where the Normandy Memorial stands now I was a young man of 20 who thought every day might be my last. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Breaking 'I cannot believe here I am at 101. "We are just their spokesmen. Hopefully we will be able to come here one more time.' Iconic RAF Red Arrows jets in danger of being replaced by Russian planes loved by Putin in move slammed as 'unthinkable' The jet was provided by BAE Systems, which employs 12,000 people in Preston. Also on board the flight to Caen Airport were former Fleet Air Arm Petty Officer George Boothby, 100, and Marjorie Hanson, 102. Advertisement She, like the late Queen Elizabeth II, served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service and helped supply the D-Day landings. The nine veterans were joined by Defence Secretary Mr Healey listened in awe to the veterans' stories. He later told The Sun at the Bayeux War Cemetery: 'The lesson to draw from the Second World War is never again can we contemplate the huge human and economic cost that it inflicted. Advertisement "We see that in the darkest, strongest terms in these cemeteries. 'What it says to me is that with the allies that we forged in the Second World War, we must band together and we must be strong enough to deter any adversary, any aggression that might be directed at us in the future .' 5 Among the heroes were Sergeant Richard Brock, now 101, and Marjorie Hanson, 102, who served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun 5 The veterans were joined by Defence Secretary John Healey for an emotional ceremony at the memorial Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun Advertisement
The Irish Sun
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Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
Veterans attend Normandy commemorations on 81st anniversary of D-Day
Veterans gathered in Normandy on Friday to mark the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings – a pivotal moment of the Second World War that eventually led to the collapse of Adolf Hitler's regime. Along the coastline and near the D-Day landing beaches, tens of thousands of onlookers attended the commemorations, which included parachute jumps, flyovers, remembrance ceremonies, parades and historical re-enactments. Many were there to cheer the ever-dwindling number of surviving veterans in their late 90s and older. All remembered the thousands who died. US defence secretary Pete Hegseth commemorated the anniversary of the D-Day landings, in which American soldiers played a leading role, with veterans at the American cemetery overlooking the shore in the village of Colleville-sur-Mer. US defence secretary Pete Hegseth lays a wreath of flowers during the ceremony in Colleville-sur-Mer (Thomas Padilla/AP/PA) The June 6 1944 invasion of Nazi-occupied France used the largest-ever armada of ships, troops, planes and vehicles to breach Hitler's defences in western Europe. A total of 4,414 Allied troops were killed on D-Day itself. In the ensuing Battle of Normandy, 73,000 Allied forces were killed and 153,000 wounded. The battle – and especially Allied bombings of French villages and cities – killed around 20,000 French civilians between June and August 1944. The exact German casualties are unknown but historians estimate between 4,000 and 9,000 men were killed, wounded or missing during the D-Day invasion alone. 'The heroism, honour and sacrifice of the Allied forces on D-Day will always resonate with the US armed forces and our allies and partners across Europe,' said Lieutenant General Jason T Hinds, deputy commander of US Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. Guests attend the ceremony at the US cemetery (Thomas Padilla/AP/PA) 'Let us remember those who flew and fell. Let us honour those who survived and came home to build a better world. 'Let us ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain by meeting today's challenges with the same resolve, the same clarity of purpose and the same commitment to freedom.' Nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed on D-Day. Of those, 73,000 were from the United States and 83,000 from Britain and Canada. Forces from several other countries were also involved, including French troops fighting with General Charles de Gaulle. The Allies faced around 50,000 German forces. More than two million Allied soldiers, sailors, pilots, medics and other people from a dozen countries were involved in the overall Operation Overlord, the battle to wrest western France from Nazi control that started on D-Day.
