From the BBC:
“The Queen praises the 'courage
and sacrifice' of D-Day”
The Queen has paid tribute to the
"heroism, courage and sacrifice" of those who died in the D-Day
landings. She was joined by 16 world leaders, including US President Donald
Trump, in Portsmouth to commemorate the 75th anniversary of history's largest
combined land, air and naval operation. Mr Trump, who was on the last day of
his UK state visit, said D-Day "may have been the greatest battle
ever". Veterans of the landings in Normandy to liberate western Europe
also attended.
The commemorations included:
A flypast by the Red Arrows RAF
aerobatic team and historic aircraft
Parachute jumps by D-Day veterans
Readings by world leaders from
the diaries and letters of people who fought and died in the war
An hour-long production telling
the story of the invasion
A joint statement by 16 countries
pledging to avoid a repeat of the "unimaginable horrors" of the
conflict
The Queen said the veterans of
D-Day demonstrated "more than courage and endurance", showing
"unconquerable resolve". The quotes came from a broadcast
by her father, King George VI, made at the time of the massive operation that
signalled the end of Nazi power in Western Europe. "The fate of the world
depended on their success," she said. "Many of them would never
return, and the heroism, courage and sacrifice of those who lost their lives
will never be forgotten." She thanked them "with humility and
pleasure, on behalf of the entire country, indeed the whole free world".
D-Day veteran: 'I didn't want to
let my friends down'.
Later in the afternoon, veterans
Harry Read, 95, and John Hutton, 94, parachuted back into Normandy, 75 years
after their first landing. However this
time, they jumped in tandem with members of the Army's Parachute Regiment
display team, the Red Devils. They were greeted with cheers and applause as
they landed in the French fields. Mr Hutton told the BBC before the jump:
"My main objective is to pay my respects to people on the ground who never
came back." Mr Read added: "[On D-Day] there was an almighty
fireworks display taking place just ahead of us - and we were going straight
into it.
"It was an horrendous inferno to go in
to."
At 18:40BST around 300 veterans
on board the cruise ship MV Boudicca waved and cheered as she left harbour in
Portsmouth bound for Normandy. They were followed by a flotilla of Royal Navy
vessels. Other ships in the harbour sounded their horns as a mark of respect as
the Boudicca left.
Horror of war
The countries represented at the
event have agreed to make a joint statement pledging to ensure the
"unimaginable horror" of the war is not repeated. Called "the
D-Day proclamation", the 16 signatories - including the UK and the US -
will commit to working together to "resolve international tensions
peacefully". On Thursday, further memorial services are planned to mark 75
years since the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944 - the start of the campaign to
liberate Nazi-occupied north-west Europe.
Veterans went on stage to be
honoured by the audience
Mrs May, Prince Charles, the
Queen and Mr Trump stood for the UK national anthem The Queen told the crowd she was
"delighted" to be able to thank veterans for their service. She
added: "When I attended the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the
D-Day landings, some thought it might be the last such event. "But the
wartime generation, my generation, is resilient." Members of the armed
forces and more than 300 veterans, who are all over 90 years old, attended the
event in Portsmouth - one of the key embarkation points on D-Day.
The Queen's heartfelt thanks to
veterans
It was when the Queen rose to her
feet, not once but twice, that it became clear just who were the honoured
guests at this commemoration. Not the presidents or the prime ministers, not
the military brass nor the servicemen and women who made the ceremony snap and
sing. The Queen said that when she attended the 60th anniversary of D-Day some
thought it might be the last such event. But, she said, the wartime generation
- my generation, she emphasised - is resilient. All true. But the men who
stepped forward to bathe in the applause of the audience today are looking ever
more frail. And one by one they are leaving us. And so the Queen stood, twice -
to honour them for the nation, and to thank them, from her heart. Sgt John
Jenkins, who is 99 and served with the Pioneer Corps in the Normandy landings,
said: "I was terrified, I think everyone was. "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."
Hundreds of other veterans are in northern France to mark the occasion there. The
event marks Mrs May's last official engagement as prime minister
Leaders from every country that
fought alongside the UK on D-Day joined the Queen and the Prince of Wales for
the commemorations on Southsea Common. They included French President Emmanuel
Macron, US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Also
attending were German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as well as leaders from
Australia, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Luxembourg, the
Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Poland and Slovakia. The commemoration
featured an hour-long production telling the story of the invasion, with
testimony from veterans, theatrical performances and music. Veterans saluted
the crowd, and actress Sheridan Smith performed a Dame Vera Lynn song. Mr Trump
read the same prayer given by President Roosevelt in a radio message ahead of
the D-Day landings, while the last letter of a young resistance fighter,
executed aged 16, was read out by President Macron. Mrs May read a letter from
Captain Norman Skinner of the Royal Army Service Corps, to his wife Gladys on
June 3 1944. It was in his pocket as he landed on Sword Beach, but he was
killed the following day.
^ This is a fitting way to remember
the sacrifice of the men and women from so many countries on the 75th
Anniversary of the D-Day landings. ^
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