King Charles and Queen Camilla invited four World War II heroes to Buckingham Palace to hear their touching tales of heroism during the conflict.
During the meeting, each of the veterans shared personal stories from the D-Day landings of 1944 and showed photographs and keepsakes from their service. His Majesty also read from his granddad's wartime diary.
In a clip of the meeting, which will air as part of 'D-Day 80: Tribute to the Fallen', Royal Navy vet John Dennett, 99, shows the monarch a picture of his wife Joyce. John - who was a gunner on a landing craft arriving at Sword Beach - wrote frequent love letters to his wife in the UK to tell her where he was, what he was doing and how much he missed her. She kept and cherished each of them.
Bernard Morgan, 100, who worked as a codebreaker during the conflict, was the youngest RAF sergeant to land in Normandy. He showed the King a pair of football boots that he carried throughout the war, tied to the straps of his military backpack.
Whenever they had a spare moment, Bernard and his pals would pass the time kicking a ball around to try forget their grim surroundings. Bernard recalled goals he scored and matches he won, including one on a landing craft.
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Next, 100-year-old Arthur Oborne proudly presented the dog tags that he was wearing when he was shot just days after landing in Normandy. His battalion had been marching through the countryside when they were attacked by Hitler's 12th Panzers Division. He was shot through the chest and his best friend Walter administered the treatment that saved his life and rushed him to a nearby hospital. He awoke days later to learn that his best pal and the rest of his unit had been killed days after he was shot.
Royal Navy Commander Glen Hinson, D-Day veteran Jim Grant, Royal Navy Commodore John Boyce, and D-Day veteran Charles Horne, on board the Brittany Ferries ship Mont St Michel (PA)It comes as a huge group of D-Day veterans gathered once again on the beaches of Normandy this week in a Herculean operation to mark 80 years since the decisive battle.
“These are all good men” a veteran shouted to onlookers as he and his comrades set sail to Normandy. It has been a major effort to assemble these heroes, as the youngest of the 20 veterans travelling with the Royal British Legion, is 97, four are centenarians, and seven live in care homes. There were tears as they were finally reunited on board a special Brittany ferry on what is expected to be their last trip of remembrance to France. Many witnessed unimaginable carnage on the bloodied beaches.
Veteran Joe Mines, 99, from Hornchurch, East London was described as a “superstar” as he addressed the crowds that had gathered to watch the veterans from the deck above. The former minesweeper, who was an Army private on D-Day, was cheered by the passengers as he pointed to all the veterans around him and told the crowd: “All good men, these are all good men. Heroes.” And from his wheelchair, he looked up at the cheering crowd and added: “If I had my time again, I would go again if necessary. Get on with life, you’ve got to. Get on with it!”
Troops disembark from a US landing craft during a joint US and French amphibious landing operation showcase, on June 4 (AFP via Getty Images)Joe was travelling with around 30 World War II veterans in total, men determined to carry out their proud “duty” to remind the world of the sacrifices made by millions to keep us free from tyranny. For one veteran it was the first time he’d returned to Normandy since those fateful days of 1944, when the invading Allied forces ultimately turned the tide of the war against the Nazis.
The Mirror was privileged to join the ageing heroes on board and witness a remarkable guard of honour. Dougie Hyde, aged 98, was travelling back to Normandy for the first time in 80 years. He was with his daughters Angela Hyde and Helen Hyde, from Stamford in Lincolnshire.
He said: “I feel the Merchant Navy was overlooked so it’s important to be here.” Helen added: “I’m immensely proud of him. It’s really important for him because he’s never been back. It’s the first time in 80 years. He keeps saying he wants to go back and see Caen now it's been rebuilt, the last time he was there it was pretty destroyed.”
Veteran Jack Mortimer from Leeds, wiped away tears as he said: “The main reason I am here is in remembrance of all those graveyards in France. When I walk through those graveyards I hear them talking to me. Sometimes I hear their names…”
The VIPs - Very Important Passengers - were given a Royal Navy escort all the way to Normandy, with the ferry flanked by HMS Cattistock and several patrol vessels. Many of the veterans saluted and fought back tears as the crew of HMS Cattistock lined up to salute them as they passed, on their way to escort these wonderful veterans back to France.
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