“This is what we did it for, this makes it all worth it: you’re free, little man.” There’s almost a century age difference between veteran Alec Penstone and our son. They met in Bayeux Cemetery, just before the Royal British Legion’s service of remembrance for the 79th commemoration of D-Day.
This year was our seventh trip to Normandy to support the commemorations of the D-Day landings. I was touched to see that there were more veterans present than in 2022, just after the COVID lockdowns. And yet it was also sad to notice those who had no made the pilgrimage.
My first ceremony was in Vauville, at a single grave of a young soldier who had been killed crossing the road to deliver a message. His senior officer had visited the grave annually after his death, and then the family of the senior officer continued to make the pilgrimage, and now the residents continue the tradition. It was moving and intimate to sing at a single grave and to focus on a single story: a contrast to the ceremonies in larger cemeteries where it is difficult to process the sheer number of casualties.
The Spirit of Normandy Trust gave their annual ceremony at the statue of Field Marshall Montgomery in Colleville-Montgomery, where I joined Jedburgh Pipe Band. The grandson of Montgomery, Viscount Henry Montgomery, was present and spoke before the ceremony.
The ceremony at the statue of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, organised by the Spirit of Normandy Trust.
In the evening, I sang at the midnight ceremony of the family of Major John Howard, the man who commanded the six gliders which landed during the night before 6th June, in order to capture two bridges so that the troops landing on the beaches could move in land. The beauty of this ceremony lies in its simplicity. The Ox and Bucks veterans used to meet at the landing place together with Major Howard and share their memories of that terrifying night. After Howard’s death, the family played a recording of one of the evenings, in which one hears Howard’s description and the reaction of the men. This year, Ben Wallace, Secretary of State for Defence for the U.K., and French Defense Minister Sébastian Lacornu attended the ceremony.
With Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace, and Penny Howard Bates, daughter of Major John Howard.
In Bayeux Cemetery, the final resting place of over 4,200 people, the Royal British Legion had their annual ceremony. I joined the British Army Band Catterick to lead the hymns and to sing ‘Abide with Me.’ Although I have sung this song countless times, it was quite a challenge because it followed first-hand accounts from the veterans. Stan Ford described the sinking on his ship, HMS Fratton.
“HMS Fratton sank in four minutes, taking with her 31 of the crew of 80. I was lucky when so many of my shipmates were not and I often ask myself why me? HMS Fratton still lies about a mile off of Arromanches and I will always remember the crew that I served with, and I will keep coming back to Normandy as long as I can to do so.”
Mr. Ford received spontaneous applause after this speech.
Singing with the British Army Band Catterick in CWGC Bayeux cemetery.
In Arromanches, I joined the Band of Liberation for an outdoor concert. At the veterans’ parade and remembrance ceremony, on request of Adrian Cox, himself a former chorister, I sang “The Silver Swan” by Gibbons, a beautiful melody and a thought-provoking text. Behind us, in the sea, the debris from the landings is still visible.
On 7th June, in Grangues, 44 Canadian airmen are commemorated each year. Some died in a crash, others were taken prisoner of war and shot in the castle grounds. The village remembers these men alongside the residents who died in the war effort.
Leading the national anthems in Grangues.
