Highlights D-Day 70

Arromanches, on the 70th anniversary of D-Day. This is where thousands --

thousands of British troops came ashore on the 6th of June, 1944,

part of a vast invasion force that changed the course of the Second

World War. It has been a day of solemn remembrance, dignified

tribute, but celebration, too, as people reflect on what happened in

1944. The events of the day actually ended in Arromanches thousands of

veterans and families in a march past, attending a service in the

presence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. But the day started in

Bayeux, the first city to be liberated in the battle for

Normandy. Hundreds of veterans made their way to Bayeux Cathedral for a

service of remembrance attended by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess

of Cornwall. The service included the dedication

of a new bells for the cathedral, to symbolise 70 years of peace and

freedom. Your Royal Highness, which named you want to give to this bell?

To raise Benedict. As part of the dedication, the bell was also run by

the French cardinal, the Normandy to James Aitken, and his grandson. --

Normandy on in. Lord, Jesus Christ. In the name of

the Father, the son and the Holy Ghost, go in peace.

After the service, hundreds of veterans made their way to the

Commonwealth War Cemetery at Bayeux, where 4000 of those who died on

D-Day and the days following are buried. Her Majesty The Queen joined

them for the official service of remembrance. Sian Williams set the

scene for us. The band of the Royal Yeomanry, leading the procession of

the standards. The band is led by the director of music. And they are

a reserve band of 32 musicians, almost half had former service with

the household division and regular Army bands. And the standards come

from many branches of the Royal British Legion who are represented

today. The British Legion told me they did not know how many would

turn up, but there are some French standards whereas well. And from the

Normandy Veterans Association. And this is where the service of

remembrance is going to take place. As the Queen is arriving, and walks

to take her place at the service of remembrance, there will be a Battle

of Britain Memorial flight, in tribute to the aviators of World War

II. There is a Lancaster, Dakota and two Spitfires.

There is a huge amount of respect for the Queen from the veterans. The

Royal British Legion were telling me yesterday that it is the icing on

the cake that she should be here today.

Your Majesty, your Royal Highness is, your eminence, your

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Royal British

Legion, it is an honour for me to welcome you to this cemetery this

morning. Here, in this cemetery, we are reminded of the true cost of

D-Day. Who's 70th anniversary we mark today. We pay tribute to the

dead and welcome, enthusiastically, the veterans for whose courage and

devotion we are most grateful. Here, in this cemetery, men from many

nations live together, -- they lie together, united in death, and

together, united in gratitude, sorrow and respect, we honour their

memory. May they rest in peace. We sing the hymn, praise my soul, the

King of Heaven. Let us remember, before God, and

commend to his sure keeping those who have died for their country in

war, those whom we knew, and whose memory we treasure. And today,

especially, those who gave their lives in June, 1944, and subsequent

months, during the liberation of France.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning

We will remember them. ALL: We will remember them.

The national parade marshal is getting ready for the laying of the

reefs. The Queen, being led by the Vice-Admiral, Peter Wilkinson, from

the Royal British Legion. Her a query from the Royal Navy hands her

the reef, with the inscription, in memory of the glorious dead. -- the

reef. The Prince of Wales and the French

Prime Minister. Prime Minister David Cameron, Tony

Abbott, the Prime Minister of Australia, and the government of New

Zealand -- the governor urge of New Brigadier David Baines from the

Normandy Veterans Association. With surge over French from the

Commonwealth War Graves commission, the vice-chairman. -- surge over

French. a lesson from the Romans, which is

often used to strengthen thousands who are suffering without despair.

If God before us, who can be against us? He who spared not his own son,

but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely

give us all things? Who chalet anything to the charge of God's

elect? It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemned it? It is

Christ that died, rather than he has risen again, who is even at the

right hand of God. Who also make it into session for us. Who shall

separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or

persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? As it is written,

for thigh sake we are -- Thy sake we are killed all the day long and we

are accounted as sleep for the slaughter. In all these things, we

are more than conquerers for him who loved us, for I am persuaded that

neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor

things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other

creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God. Which is

inChrist, Jesus our Lord. Here end eth the lesson.

Our Lord God, who has united together all veterans of the

Normandy campaign, grant we besiege you your blessing and give us

strength to carry on our work to aid and bring comradeship to all

Normandy veterans and join in common purpose throughout our association.

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, whose courage never failed.

Amen. The service of remembrance at Bayeux cemetery ends. The Queen has

a very strong relationship with the veterans. When she paid tribute to

them, at the # 0th commemorations of the Normandy landings, she said what

for you is a haunting memory of danger and sacrifice is for your

country and generations of those no come, one of the proudest in our

long, national history. When she thanked them, she thanked them with

these words, "I take it upon myself to express the immense debt of

gratitude we owe to you all. I salute you and thank you on behalf

of our whole nation." During his time in France, the Prince of Wales

has been underlining his real sense of the importance of D-Day and the

great gratitude he feels everyone owes and he has been talking to Dan

Snow. What do the an versaries of D-Day mean to you? Well, a great

deal I think, because they give you a chance to reflect, more than

anything else, on the extraordinary sacrifice, courage and resilience

and determination of these remarkable people. It is a very

special moment just to salute them and thank them, the ones would

survived. How they did, when you think of the amount of lead and

everything else flying around, it's terrifying, but the fact they did is

remarkable. And the wonderful thing is that others want also to pay

their respects, the French, all the people who benefitted as a result of

their sacrifice. It's a very poignant anniversary, because this

year the association will eventually wrap up and it feels like the last

official occasion, but I'm sure they will keep coming? I hope so. I

remember, I used to go with my great-uncle to the old Burma Star

reyunions. -- United House Gold Cup Chasions. While this was going on

here, it's worth remembering, there were thousands of British troops

involved in lit I -- Italy, still fighting and the Far East. They were

known as the forgotten. Again, it's important to remember all of them as

well at this time. The New Zealand veterans at Bayeux are a reminder of

the huge coalition that took part. And an enormous Canadian effort. I

know, because I am the chief of a lot of veterans and have been for

many years, but all the Commonwealth contribution was really remarkable

when you think about. They played such an important part and I still

think that these occasions, these commemorations, unless this is the

last one, I fear, for the D-Day landings, does give an opportunity

as well to pay tribute to so many of the French people, who suffered so

much during that invasion. It is a really special opportunity just to

remember and say a prayer of thankfullness for all these people

and what they contributed to us and our future. UnchT thank you very

much. -- thank you very much. This morning at Omaha Beach, President

Obama joined President Hollande of France to pay tribute to the

American veterans. If prayer were made of sound, the skies over

England that night would have deafened the world. Captains paced

their decks, pilots tapped their gauges and commanders poured over

maps, fully aware that for all the months of meticulous planning,

everything could go wrong. God asked one, give me guts. Whenever the

world makes you cynical whenever you doubt that courage and goodness is

possible, stop and think of these men. And although I know we already

gave them a rousing round of applause along with all our veterans

of D-Day, if you can stand, please stand, if not, please raise your

hand and let us recognise your service once more. These made waged

war so we may know peace and sacrificed so we might be free and

fought in hopes of a day when we no longer need to fight. We are

grateful to them. APPLAUSE

With me, is one of the honorary members of the Normandy veterans

association, someone who -- whose link started 60 years ago -- ten

years ago with the 60th anniversary, it's Eddie Izzard. I was touring

America and I said I have to come here. I am always here every fifth.

Ten years ago, what is your experience? It's just great to be

able to help and see veterans, to be right up close. I saw the Battle of

Britain fly-by. I came in next to them, so that was slightly - it blew

my mind. My dad brought me here many years ago, Arromanches and the fact

that the harbour is here. I come back and I come and run marathons

around here. I just know what happened here. It was also where

William the conquer was based way back when, so history came and went

away and he went and dT conquering thing and we come back. Just the

layers of history, but what happened on that day was very important. When

you meet veterans, those you have had dealings with, you've been very

generous in your support for them, what impresses you about them now,

they are elderly gentlemen? Their youth. It is youth of mind, because

that is the thing you need to keep. You need to be 22 in here all the

time. They still really, I feel, they want to be acting like they

were just landing. Whatever age they were when they were coming ashore.

It is lovely to talk to you. Anita spoke to a veteran who had landed on

Sword Beach. Bertie, you were here 70 years ago on the landing craft?

Yes. What does it mean to be here back today? Well, it's difficult to

take it all in, because it was such a different experience. This is

really marvellous, the way the French have welcomed us and put on

this wonderful reception for us. We are most privileged. But, on D-Day

of course you tried to put it out of your mind. When I left the Navy in

1946 I just put it out of my mind completely. But I've been fortunate

to meet up with a shipmate. There were only 12 in the crew and now I

meet him and he ringeds me up every -- rings me up every Sunday at 6.

50. How important is that with the other veterans? It's something so

unique. We were young men together. We demended on each other. And --

depended on each other and on singing hymns and things like that.

Of course. You are here with three generations, your son and two

grandsons. Are you teenagers? 18. 14. There would have been men

slightly older than you and your age certainly. Grandad was 15 when he

went out. What do you think about being here and what your grandfather

went through in It's amazing. Such an historical thing to witness. I've

come here for years and every year it take misbreath away. We are all

very proud of him to have served his country and it's great to be here

with me, to be honest. It's hard to appreciate what they went through,

because obviously we have never experienced figure like this

ourselves and you can watch as many documentaries and read as many

books, but - You can't think about it. What did you say? Hopefully they

never will. We'll look to see what is going on, because we are right at

the moment where some of the main guests in Ouistreham are about to

arrive. France is really wanting to say thank you. That is the great

theme. That is what we are looking forward to. The international event

and Sophie is there for us. This extraordinary stage that you can see

there, it's going to be the place where a spectacular, as the French

call it, a performance will take place this afternoon, 45 minutes

long, roughly. And it is a mixture of performers, volunteers, and there

are 500 volunteers from Normandy, who have been chosen to perform in

front of some of these veterans. As well as the leaders of the world.

Francois Hollande there and the French Prime Minister leading the

way with two young children. The message today, very much about

making sure that D-Day is not forgotten, that it is something that

is passed on to the future generations. Angela Merkel arriving

now. I think I'm correct in saying this is the first time she has

attended D-Day commemorations right here in Normandy. Now, Vladimir

Putin. A man who is here in the name of something like 20 million

Russians. 27 million. They lost their lives. In total, 27 million

lost their lives to the Nazis. There is the Prince of Wales. Prince

Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall. Prince Charles has taken part in a

number of services over the last day or two here. Yesterday, he was at

the centre of the air burn events all around Pegasus -- airborne

events around Pegasus Bridge: He met all the men of the 6th Airborne,

really the first to land on D-Day. He has a close affinity with them.

This morning he was reading the lesson at Bayeux.

President Obama, about to arrive in front of the 7000 strong audience,

and no doubt we'll get a warm reception.

President Obama's own grandfather landed on the Normandy beaches just

He was part of the drive that carried the Allies across France.

President Hollande has hosted the Queen over this three-day visit.

On the beaches of Normandy still lingers the memory of a harsh and

On these peaceful beaches of Normandy still lingers the soul of

the fighters who gave their life to free Europe.

On these peaceful beaches, on these quiet beaches, still blows,

regardless of the passing of time and regardless of the changing of

seasons, still blows the wind of freedom.

The scenes re-enacted here tell the story of the final year of the war.

From the beach landings hearing Normandy from the beach landings

to the celebrations of victory in Europe.

They culminated in a message of European reconciliation and

this afternoon, the main British event took place when veterans

marched onto the square in Arromanches in the presence of the

Beforehand, veterans had the opportunity to meet the royal couple

as they gathered for some tea and cake.

as they gathered for some tea Here we have the Duke and Duchess of

Cambridge arriving, because what they are going to be doing is

meeting some of the veterans and talking to some of those British

We have seen three generations today.

We have seen the Queen, the Prince of Wales, and now we see Prince

William. This, the strength of the royal presence here today, tells you

something about the perspective may have on D-Day.

Prince William will be addressing the veterans a little later on.

Obviously, people will pay great attention to what he has to say.

The Queen addressed the veterans ten years ago.

She struck a very personal note and made it very, very evident that she

felt very strongly that it was her duty to convey the thanks of

The Duchess of Cambridge has sat down with the veterans and their

We just saw William chatting as well.

I am here with Ted and his son, David.

One thing I tell David is that you would never get me up there, and

And you did have your feet on hard ground.

I landed on Gold Beach, two days after my 19th birthday.

I was unlucky in respect that I had to leave the fellows I had been

Now, I come back every year for the last 20 years.

I feel that I come back because the Bayeux cemetery, is line after line

And I feel I should go back just to pay my respects.

And you were with the Highlanders, of course.

Do you see names you recognise in the cemetery?

There is a small cemetery a little way from Bayeux War Cemetery.

There is a stone there marked with the name of a particular friend of

mine. So every year now, I put a poppy on his grave.

Eddie Butler is going to be guiding us through this last big event of

the day, as the Normandy the and is prepare for their final

commemoration. The 70th anniversary of D-Day.

It is very much the occasion of the veterans, especially British

veterans. They have waited patiently.

They have to take their place in the teeming crowds at Arromanches.

But just when they apply the most gentle pressure, a pathway opens up

for them and the veterans get through.

Those that can move will be marching.

Throughout the day they have been saying whether they were in Bayeux,

or at the international ceremony, they wanted to be in Arromanches.

And there to kick off the proceedings on the steps of the

museum, Dan Snow. The 6th of June, 1944, saw the most

colossal, daring, co-ordinated amphibious and airborne operation

ever attempted. It was a vital step towards ending a terrible war that

It is very easy for us to focus on the 6th of June, but many of the

veterans joining us today landed after the sixth.

But the odds that they faced were just as great, if not greater, than

Casualties during the fighting that followed were equivalent to anything

seen in a typical First World War battle on the Western front.

Today marks the final time that this band of brothers will officially

commemorate the achievement, and remember their fallen comrades.

The year that we commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day also sees

the Normandy Veterans Association this band.

As always, these days are a giddy mix of raw emotion, but also a time

I learnt as a young military history geek that if you saw a man with a

chest full of medals and you bought him a beer, you could get out your

notebook and learn it huge amount about D-Day.

I am glad to see that nothing has changed.

Let's get underway with the most exciting part of the afternoon.

Please welcome the representatives of the British military, the French

and British governments, and the Normandy Veterans Association.

And please welcome the mayor of Arromanches with his wife, together

with their Royal Highness is the jute and Duchess of Cambridge.

-- the jute and Duchess of Cambridge.

The band of the Royal Yeomanry lead the way, and the veterans are not

The Ministry of Defence sent out an invitation that this should be a

mixture of conviviality and reflection, and it is, isn't it?

We look back and yet we applaud in the present.

First of all, I would like to thank the mayor and the people of

Arromanches for hosting us this evening in their lovely town.

It is a very great honour for me to address you on this historic

anniversary, 70 years to the days since the D-Day landings took place

Earlier this afternoon, Catherine and I had the privilege of meeting

some of the veterans who were present

Great, because it signalled the beginning of the end for the tyranny

Terrible, because so great a number of young men, French men, women and

children, here and elsewhere in Normandy, lost their lives.

It is essential, too, that we never forget the friends and companions of

those veterans who gave everything for our freedom on the 6th of June

and during the days and months that followed.

They lie now, together, in the beautifully kept cemetery that line

It is vital that the sacrifice, and the reasons for that sacrifice, are

never forgotten by our generation and generations to come.

So, that is why we are so grateful to you and the townspeople of

Arromanches. By welcoming us this evening you allow us to keep those

memories alive and those lessons learned.

As nations, British, French and others, there can be no stronger

ties and recollection of what the people of Normandy and thousands of

other young Allied soldiers, sailors and airmen in George together 70

Next, a service of thanksgiving, remembrance and wreath laying, led

by Mandy Reynolds, whose father was a D-Day veteran.

Let us remember before God all who took part in the Normandy landings.

For victory achieved on land, at sea and in the air, and for the

liberation of so many from occupation and oppression.

We give thanks for those comrades who served in the British Army, the

Royal Navy, the merchant Navy, the Royal Air Force, and all those from

other countries who gave their lives courageously, and whom we remember

And we pray that, loyal to their example and their sense of duty, we

may be ever vigilant of freedom, peace and security. Percy Lewis.

They want with their songs to the battle. They were young. Straight of

limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. They were staunch to the end,

against odds unencountered. They fell with their face to the foe.

They shall not go old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary

them, nor the years condemn. The going down of the sun and in the

morning, we will remember them. We will remember them. THELASTPOST

The first wreath to be laid by his Royal Highness, the Duke of

Cambridge. I wreath will be laid on behalf of

the people of France. A wreath is laid on behalf of the

Normandy veterans association. Peter Thompson of the Normandy Veterans'

Association. His birthday fell on D-Day. He was 19, so, today is his

89 birthday. We now stand to sing the hymn

Eternal Father, Strong To Save. # Almighty father, strong to save

# Whose arm hath bound the restless wave

# Who bid the mighty ocean deep # Its own appointed limits peeple

# O, hear us when we cry to thee # For those in peril on the sea

# Protect them where they go # Thus evermore shall rise of thee

# Glad praise from the air and land and sea...

# We now from the National Anthems of both France and the United

Kingdom. APPLAUSE

Now, bow your head for God's blessing. May the Lord bless you and

keep you, may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and bring you

peace and joy. And the blessing of God almighty, the father, the son

and the Holy Spirit, be with you and those who you love this day and

always. Amen. We are now going to join together in

a little bit of community singing. Gentlemen, I hope you've got your

voices ready, because I'm listening. # God, who made thee mighty, make

thee mightier yet... # That is the end of the period of

reflection. And memory. Played by there with the great piper

of D-Day Bill Milne, who marched to Pegasus Bridge saying, "If they

remember the bagpiper, then they won't forget those who served and

fell on the beaches." # We'll meet again, don't know

where, don't know when # But I know we'll meet again some

sunny day # Keep smiling through

# Just like you always do # Till the blue skies drive the dark

clouds far away # So will you say hello

# To the folks that I go # Tell them I won't be long

# They'll be happy to know # That as you go

# I shall sing this song # We'll meet again

# Don't know where # Don't know when

# But I know we'll meet again some sunny day.. #

as Britain's museums open up... at night.

Join us as we celebrate our ever-changing museums and galleries

Walk through the new Sam Wanamaker Playhouse