meeting some of the melanie, meeting some of the vetera ns. melania, meeting some of the veterans. and he is meeting with john burfield. she works as a coder in the wrens. on a submarine on d—day herself when the signal came through. that must be quite a story to tell the president. many of these people are going back to normandy, and i am struck by one of them, thomas walling, he hasn't been back since. there will still be first moments and emotional moments as men like thomas go back for the first time. what would that be like? there were 255 veterans on the vessel which is sailing from portsmouth this evening and will be in normandy tomorrow. that is a

remarkable experience for everyone on board. dan will be there, and i will be some sherry and a real atmosphere. that is the amazing thing about when you get veterans together, particularly for something which is a commemoration and there isa which is a commemoration and there is a lot of sadness, but actually, when you get like—minded individuals who have lived through extraordinary things, there is laughter and tears in equal measure. a lot of laughter in this meeting here. there always is with the queen douglas thorne, one of the first people the queen met, he served on the landing craft going in and out, he has never been back to normandy, but he now finally wa nts to back to normandy, but he now finally wants to go. i wonder what changes my 75 years later you make that decision, i'm ready to go back. before this year, he apparently hasn't even spoken about his experiences in it d—day that much, because those landing craft helmsman would have seen the worst of it, they would have pushed the hose back

and forward, the half sunk craft, lots of bodies floating their off juno beach as well. for so many years, they haven't shared these stories, so to be open and honest today has been a tremendous privilege. a final word, when we think about the prince going to france tomorrow, and really underlining the contribution that has been made today, but also, in a position to really carry that message into normandy tomorrow. he is, and recently, he has become patron of the normandy memorial trust, which is the effort to build a permanent memorial for the uk veterans who sell there. he will get to see the site where that'll be, and he is now her majesty's representative abroad, so it'll be significant to have him there and ta ke significant to have him there and take a message forward and see how

thatis take a message forward and see how that is coming on. thank you for joining us. good to have you all with us. as the royal guests are now leaving southsea common, it is the end of our special coverage on this side of the english channel on the 75th anniversary of d—day. tomorrow, the 6th ofjune marks the start of the 6th ofjune marks the start of the battle to liberate europe. operation overlord was about to begin and the course of history would be changed. join us tomorrow morning in france at 9:15am, as we continue to mark the 75th anniversary of d—day. but for now, from all of our guests here, thanks for watching and goodbye.

commemorations are under way to mark the 75th anniversary of d—day. the queen wasjoined in portsmouth by theresa may, president trump, and other world

leaders, to remember the allied invasion of nazi—occupied france. 75 years ago, hundreds of thousands of young soldiers, sailors and airmen left these shores in the cause of freedom. more than 300 veterans of that d—day landing gathered to remember the sacrifices of the thousands of men and women who fought to liberate europe. this is it, they are on the beach. the invasion was the largest combined land, airand naval operation in history and one of the most decisive battles of the second world war. i am honoured to be stood here today in front of so many other veterans. you never forget your comrades, because we were all in it together. it's right that the courage and sacrifice of so many is being honoured 75 years on.

we must never forget. senior figures from every country that fought alongside the uk are attending — they've agreed a commitment to uphold democracy, tolerance and the rule of law. we'll have all the lastest from here in portsmouth. also this lunchtime.... social workers are severely criticised over the brutal murders of two toddlers in northamptonshire. creditors vote on whether to accept a rescue dealfor sir philip green's retail group, arcadia. and women born in the 19505 take the government to court over the way their pension ages were increased. tottenham's christian eriksen issues a come and get me plea to real madrid. he has set his career as at

the point that he needs a new challenge. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one from portsmouth, where the queen has led commemorations to mark the 75th anniversary of d—day. hundreds of veterans, now in their 90s, have beenjoined by world leaders of the countries which fought alongside britain in one of the most decisive battles of the second world war. the invasion was the largest combined land, airand naval operation in history. duncan kennedy has our first report, on today's events to remember the sacrifices of the thousands of men and women who battled to liberate europe from nazi occupation. from thousands to hundreds, the

numbers of veterans may be dwindling, but the pride they take and the respect they are given is undiminished. 16 world leaders are here to absorb the nostalgia and pay tribute to sacrifice. 2500 americans were to die on d—day, the second worst single day of losses for the united states in world war two. almighty god, our sons, the states in world war two. almighty god, oursons, the pride states in world war two. almighty god, our sons, the pride of our nation. this day have set up a mighty endeavour. a struggle to preserve our republic, our religion and our civilisation, and to set free a suffering of humanity. while

the great armada of ships bears down on the shelbrooke pronounced like... the scale of d—day was as breathtaking as its ambition. -- shelbrooke. our troops spell a shore across the open stretch. photos and landing craft, 12,000 aircraft, 150,000 troops. including, the royal marines. when we jumped smoke bombs through, they were coming out in their long johns, they had been asleep. eric carter landed at the don, 18 years old, an unknown enemy ahead, undaunted belief in the mission. how frightening a day was d—day? mission. how frightening a day was d-day? i don't know, asi mission. how frightening a day was d-day? i don't know, as i say, most of us were youngsters. it was like cowboys and indians to us. and i can't say i was really scared. how can't say i was really scared. how can you be scared when you do not know what is going to happen? the

trip landing craft was packed to full capacity. there was no cover for the army. just a standing or sitting. britain lost around 1500 men on d—day. the prime minister reflected on that human cost, recalling a letter found on the body of captain norman skinner, written to his wife gladys. my darling, this isa very to his wife gladys. my darling, this is a very difficult letter for me to write. as you know, something may happen at any moment, and i cannot tell when you will receive this. i had hoped to be able to see you during last weekend, but it was impossible to get away, and all the things i intended to say must be written. i am sure that anyone with imagination must dislike the thought of what's coming. but my fears will

be more of being afraid than of what can happen to me. you and i have had some lovely years... those who survived the horrors of the normandy beaches have twilight it into their tenth decade, but today, that vast arc of time was bridged with vivid memories. it is with humility and pleasure on behalf of the entire country, indeed, the whole free world that i say to you all, thank you. tributes and reflections, a moment to recall that d—day depended on numbers, planning, luck, subterfuge and courage. a collective resolve, timing and history. a great

enterprise of liberation to help bring the evil domination of nazism to an end. so, an extraordinarily powerful, a very emotive event here today, with none of the politics that we had yesterday, just really the issue of humanity of commemoration. president trump himself will fly to ireland is now, but he willjoin all of the other leaders present today in northern france for the main event tomorrow, where we are expecting to see some very moving events, simon on the beaches of normandy. duncan, thank you very much. 300 veterans are marking the anniversary with a voyage to france, onboard a specially chartered cruise ship, the boudicca. for men who are now in their 90s, it's a chance for them to reflect on theirjourney to the normandy beaches, and to commemorate the thousands of comrades who never returned. our correspondent robert hall has been speaking to them as they gathered to remember.

jim grant's d—day began on bodhi landing craft, lumbering through the soft towards the normandy beaches. 75 years older, he was afloat again, guest of the royal marines on a windswept right across pearl harbor. a lot better than i thought it would be. it would have taken us four times as long to get round the old way. the boudicca arrival in poole gave the 300 veterans and their companions a taste of what was to come on both sides of the channel. it makes you feel so proud and yet humble at the same time. you feel humble, can you imagine howl humble at the same time. you feel humble, can you imagine how i feel? ido humble, can you imagine how i feel? i do not deserve to be here. they are the heroes of d—day. it is everything that we are celebrating now, really, really excited to be

pa rt now, really, really excited to be part of this and to be with my grandad and have memories that i can keep forever. on the quayside, men who had stumbled assure weighed down with weapons and equipment, men who help supply the bridgehead examined the tools of modern warfare. my goodness! i could not have ran with that! the excitement among veterans was infectious. men in their 90s are scrambling to get in on the action. some could not quite believe they we re some could not quite believe they were here. i thought i had got past it and that i could not do it. yes, he did not think he could make another voyage to normandy. we cannot comprehend what these ladies and gentlemen did for us, to give us about freedom, we cannot comprehend it. not far away, curiosity of different kind. how did you win all

of your meadows? it is a humbling experience to hear what they remember so clearly and to remember what that did for all of our lives there afterwards. they are amazing people and it was a privilege to meet them today. today, the veterans disembarked in the port where many of them boarded ships in 19114. they believe these commemorations will help them pass on the pattern of remembrance. it is very important to rememberthis, remembrance. it is very important to remember this, because otherwise hitler might have taken us over but tha n kfu lly hitler might have taken us over but thankfully that did not happen. hitler might have taken us over but thankfully that did not happenm is something you will never see again, will you? i suppose this will be the real last commemoration for the sort of thing. everybody is getting so old we will soon disappear! we have children and grandchildren and they are very interested and i think it should be remembered. i think a lot of people died for where we are today. they

may be dwindling in number, but the survivors of the day will tell you it is their duty to be here. robert hall, bbc news, southsea. with me now is general sir nick carter, chief of the defence staff. that was a service which brought many lumps to many throats, wasn't it? absolutely, it was a huge privilege to be able to watch that and to be able to watch it any company of many veterans. why was it so company of many veterans. why was it so important to commemorate d—day? well, it is one of the most important well, it is one of the most im porta nt battles well, it is one of the most important battles that that generation lived through. it was a battle that gave us a foothold in europe and it was a battle that ultimately led to the defeat of the nazi regime. in every way it was a decisive moment of world war two. and what about the lessons? the courage and bravery of those who took to the beaches and established a beachhead. but also it was a hugely important national enterprise, because many people put

on the uniform for a very short period of time, other scientists, mathematicians or just period of time, other scientists, mathematicians orjust engineers, they pulled together a most remarkable plan, and there was a huge amount of ingenuity and imagination that went into that plan. it was really quite a technical set of initiatives. and we have the most important people in the world here today and, yet, perhaps the most important people where those 300 veterans.|j perhaps the most important people where those 300 veterans. i think thatis where those 300 veterans. i think that is exactly right, it should be all about them. i have been very privileged to be in the company of her majesty the queen and the president of the united states of america, talking to five gentlemen and one lady, and it was really humbling to see how that engagement was, and they were front and centre in terms of what they did. what sort of questions were being asked? what the remember, really, because any sense, that is what it is about. what the remembered and what their fears were at the time. the unifying think you get from all of them is that they did not want to let their friends down. great pleasure to talk to you, sir nick carter.

some of the aircraft used on d—day are recreating their flight across the channel, 75 years ago. our correspondent, john maguire, is in duxford in cambridgeshire where they will take off. john. we are at the imperial war museum end oxford in cambridgeshire. you can see two of the dakota aircraft parked behind me. they were absolutely central on d—day. many of them will have taken off on the 5th ofjune them will have taken off on the 5th of june because they them will have taken off on the 5th ofjune because they were airborne just before midnight to start dropping troops over northern france. 800 dakotas were involved on that day, around 22,000 men were pa rt that day, around 22,000 men were part of that massive airborne invasion. around 20 of these aircraft will take off this afternoon, carrying something like 200 parachutists, who will recreate the events of d—day, 75 years ago.

among them, two veterans from the second world war from those jumps. we have been to meet one, let us talk to harry reid. in 19114, a 20—year—old paratrooper was training for d—day. his army pay book shows how some of his training took place at netheravon airfield, in wiltshire. 75 years on and harry reid has returned to netheravon and is about to return to paratrooping. great to meet you, too. now, as then, harry's turned out immaculately, but these days, his uniform is that of the salvation army and his jump today will raise money for it. he meets his modern—day equivalents — paratroopers from the us and the uk, who willjump alongside him and who have much in common. you had to push hard enough to miss the back of the hull, so that your parachute didn't push you forward because that banged your nose on the other side, which they called ringing the bell,

by the way. we all go through tough training and, at the end of the day, it's ourjobs to jump out of aeroplanes behind enemy lines and it's something we look back on and we will always remember they were the trailblazers. the first men to move in on the normandy coastline... his thoughts at this time of year turn to those comrades who never returned from northern france and, despite his age, he was fully aware of what he was being ordered to do on that day. i came to the conclusion, very seriously, to my own satisfaction, that i would shirk nothing. i wouldn't surrender. if i had to have my little fight with the germans on my own, i would do it and die. that i would be true to the traditions that had grown up around our kind of unit and i would pay the price, if necessary.

800 dakotas flew thousands of troops to france and today 2a are recreating that flight. the seats here, there are 27 of them. you can just imagine this whole back of the aircraft being absolutely rammed with burly paratroopers, all of their kit, equipment, radios, weapons, ready to jump into northern france. this cable that runs the length of the fuselage is where they would have clipped on their static line to deploy the parachute once they jump out. you can imagine the adrenaline coursing through their veins as they leapt out, destination northern france and the liberation of europe. this stops you banging your head on my helmet. harry will exit the same aircraft type, but will freefall attached to one of the red devils display team. airborne troops talk of a unique bond, a brotherhood. the same for these young men today, as it was for the tens of thousands

of young men three quarters of a century ago. john maguire from cambridgeshire. the creation of the parachute drop taking place over the skies of normandy later this afternoon. attempts to predict the weather played a crucial part in the preparations for d—day. military planners wanted to ensure calm seas, tidal patterns and the light from the moon would all work in the allies' favour. our weather presenter, carol kirkwood, has spent the morning at southwick house, around ten miles north of here, to see how meteorologists plotted the best time to attack. i am in southwick house near portsmouth in the actual d—day map room with the actual d—day map used for the launch. now, the weather played an important role in deciding when to invade, so let's find out why. months and years of waiting were over... planning an operation as important as d—day took months,

but despite the greatest military precision, it was one thing they couldn't predict — the weather. the requirements were strict. a combination of clear skies, a full moon, calm seas, and a low tide were all needed to make d—day a success. this put enormous pressure on meteorologists to identify a suitable weather window, at a time when predicting just 2a hours ahead was a challenge. the man responsible for advising general eisenhower on the best day to launch the invasion was group captainjames stagg. i had long had at the back of my mind the tactical use of weather, just to be able to pick out some little interlude which would be unknown to the enemy forces that would allow us to make use of it and catch the people on the other side unawares. heading out to sea after a 24—hour delay because of the weather... the invasion was originally planned for 5th june,

but after stagg predicted bad weather in the channel, it was postponed by 2li—hours. in the end, the weather on d—day wasn't ideal. strong winds and rough seas made for a difficult landing, but if the troops had waited for the next window, the fleet would have been battered by one of the worst summer storms to hit the english channel in decades. as it was, the success of stagg's forecast allowed the troops to land on the french beaches and the tide of world war ii began to turn. carol kirkwood reporting. a moment not just to reflect carol kirkwood reporting. a moment notjust to reflect here in portsmouth and to look at the 300 vetera ns portsmouth and to look at the 300 veterans who have been taking part in ceremonies here but the viewers at home remembering parents, grandparents, great grandparents, a very moving day ahead of another day tomorrow as we remember d—day 75 yea rs

tomorrow as we remember d—day 75 years on. more from portsmouth later. now back to you. thank you. serious case reviews into the brutal murder of two toddlers have severely criticised social workers with northamptonshire council council. one—year—old evelyn—rose muggleton was killed by her mother's partner last year, while two—year—old dylan tiffin—brown was killed by his father in 2017. the case reviews paint a picture of chaos in the children's services department, with a high turnover of staff, high sickness levels and heavy caseloads. caroline davies reports. two young children, both killed at the hands of violent men. what more could have been done to save them? today, two reviews were published about how different agencies in northampton were involved before the toddlers died. dylan tiffin—brown was two years old when he was murdered by his father, raphael kennedy, a drug dealer. he was given a sentence of a minimum of 2a years.

the report shows that two months before dylan's death, police discovered the toddler in his father's care in a property with access to drugs and that he was left on his own for periods of time. the family was given a social worker, but up until his death, no observation was made of dylan. evelyn—rose muggleton was one—year—old when she was admitted to hospital with bleeding on the brain. she died a few days later. her mother's then boyfriend, ryan coleman, was convicted of murder and given a sentence of 17 years. coleman also had a history of drug abuse and dealing. the review found that there had been several missed opportunities where information could have been shared between different agencies, including by the police. northamptonshire council has struggled with its finances. this is not the first time that the children's services have been under pressure. last month, an independent report described it as very fragile. the new director says there's still a long way to go. since i have been in northampton, i have found that there are things

that need to be put right and that the organisation has been endeavouring to put right for some time and is working very hard on putting things right. but there is a way to go. there are improvements, undoubtedly, but there is still a way to go with a number of the issues. today's reviews say that there are lessons that must be learned, so that services do what they can to stop tragic deaths like these happening again. caroline davies, bbc news. sir philip green's retail group, arcadia, is holding a crucial meeting with its creditors as it tries to avoid administration. the company, which owns topshop, burton and miss selfridge, plans to close dozens of stores and wants to agree big rent cuts at nearly 200 others. last night, sir philip agreed to put an extra £25 million into the group's pension fund. our business correspondent ever since and is at the meeting in

central london. —— emma simpson. how likely is a deal to be approved?” think there is a real element of uncertainty in this, lots of retailers have done restructuring deals and they have passed, but this one is the most complex and contentious so far. last night sir philip green got the backing of the pension regulator, absolutely crucial. today it is down to the landlords and they will have to accept swingeing rent cuts. obviously not happy but in the end it comes down to individual commercial interests. some rent might be better than none. we will know the outcome later today. a lot riding on it. arcadia says if the deal does not go through, it is likely to face administration. thank you very much, emma simpson. women born in the 19505 have taken the government to the high court over the way their pension ages were increased to bring them into line with men. the state pension age for women was raised from 60 to 65,

and it will soon move to 66. campaigners argue the shift was unfair for nearly 4 million people who didn't have enough time to prepare. our personal finance correspondent, simon gompertz, reports. taking on the government. the equalisation of pension ages between men and women has provoked this. they say the weight has been done amounts to six discrimination. why is this process sex discrimination? we were not given enough notice. it is not about the non—equality, we we re is not about the non—equality, we were not equal to start with. we never had the opportunity to join an occupational pension scheme for example, we were excluded from that. we have never been able to build up a pension pot. once the female pension age was 60, now 65, like

men, 66 next year. these women are asking for a back payment of all the pension they would have picked up had they been able to get the state pension from the age of 60. but critics say it is asking for too much because the total bill for the taxpayer if they got that would add up taxpayer if they got that would add up to more than £17 billion. some jobs might be fine at 66, mine isn't. a60 four-year-old ambulance driver in margate had little more than a year's noticed that she would not be able to retire at 60 and she is still working. i am angry. i feel discriminated against, i wasn't told. i think it is either because of gross incompetence of the gulf or they did not think it through —— the government. the government says it decided more than 20 years ago it would make the pension age the same

for men and women as a long