Prince Charles praised the personal courage and sacrifice of those who died in the D-Day landings as a new British memorial was unveiled on the 77th anniversary of the historic operation.
Last modified on Sun 6 Jun 2021 05.39 EDT
Along the coast of Normandy the flags were out. The pipe-and-drum bands were touring the cemeteries and memorials commemorating the dead. The motley ranks of war re-enactors in their khaki wool uniforms sped through the narrow lanes in their vintage jeeps and trucks.
For the second year in a row, however, the veterans whose bravery on 6 June 1944 they were here to honour were missing.
Once again, the coronavirus has prevented British and other veterans from returning to relive, as they have in previous years, their longest day. On Sunday, 77 years on, most are aged over 95, and frail. Their numbers are of course dwindling.
More than 100 Normandy veterans have gathered to watch the opening of a memorial dedicated to those who took part in the D-Day landings 77 years ago. The British Normandy Memorial records the names of the 22,442 servicemen and women under British command who died during the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy in the summer of 1944. Designed by British architect Liam O’Connor, the structure has been built at Ver-sur-Mer in France and its opening is being livestreamed to those who cannot attend due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The British Normandy Memorial (Royal British Legion/PA) Veterans and their families gathered at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire on Sunday to watch the event remotely and to mark the 77th anniversary of the D-Day landings.