Page 21 - QARANC Vol 16 No 2 2018

veterans, but the mood was lifted by the pipe band that greeted our bus as we arrived for dinner. The evening was fun, warm and a great end to the day. I was entertained by the comedy duo Joe Catini and Bill Pendall, two very close friends who met over recent years through this amazing trip.
Wednesday 6 June marked 74 years since the liberation of France – D-Day. Our day began with the cathedral service in Bayeux. We helped the veterans get to the front of a very packed audience whilst the band and choir played in the background. The cathedral itself was breathtaking, with similarities to Westminster Abbey. Quickly and safely we gathered everyone back onto the coach and were on our way to the official ceremony at Bayeux. Wheeling the chairs over wet grass in No 2s was more challenging than I expected but by this point in the constant drizzle we were not worried about how shiny our shoes could have been.
We were then on the way to our final ceremony of the day at Arromanches and another large-scale parade with huge crowds and the veterans parading with a pipe band. I will remember this parade for the final song, in which everyone got off their chairs, linked arms with strangers and danced to Auld Lang Syne. It lifted spirits and reminded people that although we must take time to remember the tragic events that occurred, we must celebrate the independence we now all have. After a little free time, we sat down and enjoyed a 1940s military themed singer. The highlight of my week came here when I was asked by two veterans for a dance. For the first time in my life a man asked me to dance, and what fun we had! An
evening I will never forget. Ironically these men had been in wheelchairs all day, but found their feet when they became lost in the music.
Our last full day in France included a parade at Thury Harcourt, 59th Staffordshire memorial. Local schoolchildren paraded and sang both British and French national anthems. They were fascinated and loved shaking hands with the veterans, but I would say the veterans enjoyed the energy from the children more. At a later parade the children gave the veterans flowers which was a warming
THE GAZETTE QARANC 19
Sergeant Blakemore supporting veteran Raymond Shuck as he salutes his comrades
sight. We then headed over to our third museum of the trip – Memorial des Civils dans la Guerre before our last supper in France. Naturally the evening included many speeches and gifts to say thank you for everyone’s help, in which we all received a special photo frame to be signed by all the veterans. Now hanging on my wall is a frame personally signed by the last 32 surviving WW2 veterans of D-Day – very special! By this point I expected a lot of the veterans to be exhausted, but they were in the hotel bar long into the night.
Sadly, it was time to head back to the UK. An early wakeup call had myself and Corporal Carr providing medical assistance to a veteran, still wearing our pyjamas. By this point we had lost count of how many times we were required, a lot more often than anyone ever imagined.
This trip has been indescribable. The stories, the poems, the romance, the bravery and the people involved to make this trip happen are remarkable. I feel confident in saying, on behalf of the medical team, it is undoubtedly the best thing our military carers will give us. I feel very privileged to have been given this opportunity and I am very proud to wear my uniform.
Corporal Melissa Wilkinson Defence Medical Group (North)
Corporal Wilkinson with veteran Ivor Stephens