Page 20 - QARANC Vol 16 No 2 2018

18 QARANC THE GAZETTE
D-Day Revisited with the Normandy Veterans 2018
On Saturday 2 June, six members from Defence Medical Group (North) embarked on the annual charity- organised trip to Normandy. This trip facilitates the last surviving veterans of WW2 who fought in the D-Day Landings to visit Normandy. The six were Sergeant Blakemore who helped to organise the week, Major Hulley, Sergeant Dale, Sergeant Keely, Corporal Carr and Corporal Wilkinson.
Travelling south down to Portsmouth in two coach loads, the week began by collecting smartly dressed veterans and their family/carers.
“I hope you have your passport, Bert. No! I didn’t need it then, so I don’t need it now”.
The use of dry humour between two veterans sitting in the back row like young schoolboys was an insight of what the week would entail, and what characters we were now in company of. Aged between 93 and 96, all 32 veterans were once again reunited, excited and anxious to revisit the location of the most successful joint force command mission. As in previous years, the tradition of arriving unintentionally late was upon us, but we were soon heading to the
opening meal at Southwick House. Unfortunately, this was also the start of our medical responsibilities as one veteran tripped on the hotel stairs requiring a hospital visit.
After our first evening of bagpipes, three course dining, speeches and socialising, we were soon into our first full day as a group. This started with a visit to the D-Day Museum in Portsmouth before boarding the ferry to France. As an added surprise, we encountered another three more casualties. Our medical team, including a civilian doctor, soon understood the frailty of the group and how vital our role had become to the success of the trip.
To begin the first day in Northern France, we headed to Vierville-sur- Mer for a wreath laying ceremony at the 2nd Tactical Air Force Memorial. The weather was grey and cold but it was the opera singer Emma Brown who gave us goosebumps as she sung ‘Amazing Grace’ to the veterans and surrounding crowds. Warming up after our second three course meal we visited the Utah Beach Museum. By this point it was sinking in how celebrity-like our veterans were over in France. Photos, handshakes and
intrigued schoolchildren followed us everywhere.
Tuesday 5 June at Pegasus Bridge was another emotional day which began with a ceremony to say goodbye to a veteran Ivor Anderson, whose wife Angela had promised to scatter his ashes at Orne River as he wished. Sergeant Blakemore, who had the privilege of meeting Ivor on previous visits, was asked to lead the ceremony off a warship. As the pipes were played down the river, poppy petals were scattered along the embankment, a sad but comforting time for all. After our busy morning, another ceremony took place at Ranville Cemetery where Raymond Shuck laid a wreath for his division. Ray was shot by the Germans at this exact location, dragged into the nearby church where he was met by medics and nurses. Three weeks later he woke in England with just a scar upon his head. Ray would say he was a lucky one. The emotions at this place were raw and the stories he had described were surreal. A difficult memorial for Ray, but one which he was determined to do. Our two pipers played in the rain as I swallowed the lump in my throat. A tiring day, physically and emotionally for our
DMG(N) staff with veteran Vera Hay, QAIMNS Normandy Veteran