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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