this is bbc news i'm anna foster, here in northern france where a series of events are being held to commemorate the start of the normandy landings 75 years ago. the headlines at eleven. dignitaries and veterans attend a service at the cathedral in bayeux, the first city to be liberated by the invasion. theresa may and emmanuel macron lay a wreath at an inauguration ceremony for a new memorial at ver—sur—mer. if one day can be said to have determined the fate of generations to come, in france, in britain, in europe and the world, that day was the 6th june 1944.

president trump attends a us service of remembrance near omaha beach, where many american troops landed. they're remembering the largest seaborn invasion in history, that helped turn the second world war. i'm annita mcveigh, in today's other news. 1700 jobs are in danger as unions say ford is to close its engine plant in bridgend next year. an inquiry into the liverpool community health nhs is launched, following concerns 150 deaths weren't properly investigated.

good morning and welcome to normandy. it's thursday the 6th ofjune, d—day. hundreds of veterans are being joined in northern france by theresa may, donald trump and president macron this morning, to commemorate the start of the normandy landings 75 years ago. by the end of d—day, almost four and a half thousand allied troops had been killed and thousands more had been wounded or were missing. d—day marked the start of the liberation of nazi—occupied western europe. a series of events are being held over the course of today to honour those who took part. commemorations began with the sound of bagpipes marked the exact moment allied troops landed on gold beach 75 years ago. theresa may and president macron of france

a lone piper standing on a piece of mulberry harbour, hundreds of people turned out to listen to that moment and take photos. theresa may and president macron of france were at a ceremony to unveil a new memorial to the thousands of soldiers who died this day 75 years ago. vetera ns veterans and dignitaries join together overlooking the beach, an emotional moment for many of those involved and theresa may, as president emanuel macron made a speech which also paid tribute to her premiership and the times we had spent working together. they laid a

wreath at the inauguration stone, at the new normandy memorial. veterans have been fighting to have it here on the beach for a long time. a very special moment for many of them who are part of the crowd. at that ceremony, theresa may said those men would always be remembered for their service and sacrifice. these young men belonged to a very special generation, the greatest generation. a generation whose unconquerable spirit shaped our post—war world. they didn't boast. they didn't fuss. they served. they did their duty. and they laid down their lives so that we might have a better life and build a better world. the memorial built here will remind us of this, of the service and sacrifice

of those who fell under british command in normandy, of the price paid by french civilians, and of our duty and our responsibility to now carry the torch for freedom, for peace and for democracy. i want to thank all those involved in this memorial. george batts and the veterans who have campaigned so hard to make it happen. the people of ver—sur—mer there and philippe 0nillon, the town's mayor. here in normandy, the names of those british men and women who gave their lives in defence of freedom will forever sit opposite their homeland across the channel along with those of our allies. here in normandy we will always remember their courage, their commitment, their conviction. and to our veterans here in normandy today, i want to say the only words we can. thank you.

let's cross now to omaha beach in colleville—sur—mer, where french president emmanuel macron and president trump are attending the event commemorating the us troops who landed there 75 years ago

ladies and gentlemen, the president of the unit to. donald trump. —— united states. president macron, misses to the first lady of the united states, people of france, and members of the united states congress, two distinguished guests, veterans and my fellow americans. we are gathered

here on freedoms alter. 0n my fellow americans. we are gathered here on freedoms alter. on these shores, on these bluffs, on this day 75 years ago 10,000 men had their blood and thousands sacrificed their lives for their brothers, for their countries and for the survival of liberty. today, we remember those who fell and we honour all those who thought right here in normandy. they w011 thought right here in normandy. they won back this ground for civilisation, veterans of the second world war whojoin us civilisation, veterans of the second world war who join us today, you are among the very greatest americans who will ever live. you are the pride of our nation, you are the glory of our republic. and we thank

you from the bottom other hearts. applause here with you, are over 60 veterans who landed on d—day. i would debt to you is everlasting. today we express oui’ you is everlasting. today we express our undying gratitude. when you were young, these men enlisted their lives in a great crusade. 0ne young, these men enlisted their lives in a great crusade. one of the greatest 0f lives in a great crusade. one of the greatest of all time. their mission

was a ferocious eternal struggle between good and evil. 0n the 6th of june, 19114, they joined between good and evil. 0n the 6th of june, 19114, theyjoined a liberation force of awesome power and breathtaking scale. after months of planning, the allies had chosen this ancient coastline to mount their campaign, to vanquish the wicked tyranny of the nazi empire from the face of the earth. the battle began in the skies above us. in those first tense midnight hours, 1000 aircraft where overhead with 17,000 allied airborne troops preparing to lea p allied airborne troops preparing to leap into the darkness beyond these trees. then came don, the enemy who had occupied these sites saw the

largest naval armada in the history of the world. just a few miles offshore vessels bearing 130,000 warriors. they were the citizens of free and independent nations united by their duty to their compatriots and to millions yet unborn. there where the british, who nobility and fortitude saw them through. through the worst of dunkirk and the london blitz. the full violence of nazi fury was no match for the full grandeur of british pride. thank you. applause

there are still several commemoration events taking place throughout the day here in normandy — including the royal british legion‘s service of remembrance at the comonwealth graves at bayeux cemetery. let's join my colleagues sophie raworth and fergal keane, who will take us through that service. if you go to the american cemetery you can honour all the americans, same with canada. but britain doesn't. so for many this is the last thing we want to achieve and he wa nted last thing we want to achieve and he wanted to ensure it would happen. prince charles clearly making a concerted effort to talk to veterans and theirfamily. a concerted effort to talk to veterans and their family. a very personal touch. the prince is also very mindful of the loved ones of those who did not return. he is a proud

patron of the war widows association and he is very mindful, as indeed are the veterans. they see them as the lucky ones. in the crowd we are seeing a lot of wives, daughters, loved ones and descendants of gallant people who gave their lives here in normandy who did not come home. for them i here in normandy who did not come home. forthem i think here in normandy who did not come home. for them i think the feelings are very different. if you are a vetera n you are very different. if you are a veteran you are here with incredible pride and gratitude and for a lot of these loved ones, it is very mixed emotions. prince charles's grandfather gave a speech to the empire at 9pm on d—day. he said once more a supreme empire at 9pm on d—day. he said once more a supreme test has to be faced. this time it is about fighting the final victory. it was the king who

had to convince churchill not to descend. that's right, churchill said by the way your majesty i am going to go off to d—day. and he had to tell him frankly it should be the king and if i can't go, you can't go. in the end he spent days pondering his response to the king but eventually he yielded and realised that it probably wasn't such a good idea. the king made a very powerful argument which is that he belonged at home. if history shall happen to hit where he was standing that could have reversed the future of the free world. so for once churchill took his orders from

the king. what does the prince of wales's supports mean to the veterans? they are acutely aware they were the kings men and they are here as loyal subjects of the kings daughter and here he is as her representative. the phrase, they served king and country. today they served king and country. today they serve queen and country. that bond between the royal families and the armed forces is not fully appreciated beyond military circles. but within the armed forces, it is a very special bond. all these regiments have always had a very special bond. as the duchess comes down the other side here. all these regiments and squadrons are very proud of the royal connections. there were countless acts of bravery

but one victoria cross. just one victoria cross but a posthumous tory across older —— victoria cross holder is buried in the cemetery. with his men he performed extraordinary attacks on a german position in a french village which saved many lives. is a war correspondence it has always mystified me where people find the courage to do that anything. soldiers will advance under order because of discipline but there are those rear breeds who will go further and attack the enemy, the

machine gun nest, he will try to dismantle bombs for their comrades... it is something all of us are comrades... it is something all of us are moved by whenever we come across these stories. yesterday we had at the event in portsmouth, the canadian prime minister read out the citation for the first canadian victoria cross and it was just that. a tale of corporal merritt. it is worth taking a step back and considering the toll of the second world war and essentially what the sacrifice of the men here meant in bringing that conflict to an end. a

war which claimed the lives of 60 million people. tens of millions uprooted from their home. europe was divided and shattered. i am joined also by dan snow, on the bigger picture how significant was d—day? lots of people in the uk have been saying what about the eastern front, surely that is where germany was defeated? and surely that is where germany was defeated ? and of surely that is where germany was defeated? and of course there were titanic battles but this front radically shortened the war. it also ensured that when europe was liberated it was liberated by the western liberal allies and not by stalin's soviet army. it was brussels, paris and copenhagen who we re brussels, paris and copenhagen who were liberated by the west and

democracy is put in place. we are approaching the moment when the formal service will begin. theresa may has arrived and the prince of wales and duchess of cornwall are taking their seats. a moment ago we heard the band, there will be more hymns and music and readings. we will also have the battle of britain memorial flight. not many of those aircraft still stand but they will be here today. very shortly we will hear the bbc's owi'i very shortly we will hear the bbc's own newsreel. the remainder of the corporations heritage in the second

world war. this is the bbc home service and here isa this is the bbc home service and here is a special bulletin read by johnson. d—day has come. early this morning the allies began the assault oi'i morning the allies began the assault on hitler's european fortress. the first official news came just after half pa st first official news came just after half past nine, when supreme headquarters of the allied expeditionary force, issued communique number one. they said under the command of generalised,

allied naval forces supported by strong air forces began landing allied armies this morning on the northern coast of france. it was announced a little later that general montgomery is in the or charge of the army group carrying out the assault. this army group includes british and canadian and united states forces. the allied commander—in—chief general eisenhower has issued an order of the day addressed to each individual of the allied expeditionary force. he said, your task will not be an easy one. your enemy is well—trained, well—equipped and battle hardened. he will fight savagely. but this is the year 1944, the tide has turned. the freemen of the tide has turned. the freemen of the world are marching to victory. i have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. we will expect nothing less than victory in battle. good

luck and let us beseech the mercy of almighty god. would you please be seated. your royal highness is, madame pride minister, members of the normandy association. distinguished guests, lord's, ladies and gentlemen. we gather together today to remember and give france for all those who participated in and contributed towards dd will stop and without him, it would not have succeeded. the allied and commonwealth

contributions, the trips from canada, the united states of america, three french, free poles, and the french resistance. the role of the secret services through operation fortitude. the general operatives. particularly female agents. stories of the invention is created. the role of meteorologists and the contribution of civilians. who all played their parts in bringing the operation together. let us bringing the operation together. let us pray. eternal god, you are the shepherd of our souls. the giver of everlasting life. on this day, when we commemorate and commend to you

those who lived and died in the service of others we are glad to remember that your purpose is for us are good. that you gave jesus christ for the life of the world and that you lead us by his holy spirit into the pads of righteousness and peace. amen. we sing the hymn i bow to the my country. would you please stand. music: i bow to thee my country # i vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above, # entire and whole and perfect,

the service of my love, # the love that asks no questions, the love that stands the test, # that lays upon the altar, the dearest and the best, # the love that never falters, the love that pays the price, # the love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice. # the love that never falters, the love that pays the price, # the love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice. # and there's another country, i've heard of long ago, # most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know,

# we may not count her armies, we may not see her king, # her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering # and soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase, # and her ways are ways of gentleness # and all her paths are peace.

frank baugh will now read a personal account of his dd experiences. my name is frank baugh, aged 95. ijoined the royal navy in june 1942. i was trained at hms collingwood and after exams i was allocated to the combined operations division

and to the landing craft infantry. we were sent to america to collect our craft and sail it back home. i was the signalman on lci(l) 380 and our task on d—day was to take 200 troops from 2nd battalion king's shropshire light infantry from newhaven to sword beach. the landing craft was approximately 150 feet long, and 25 feet beam, and flat bottomed and bobbed around like a cork in a bucket.

we landed on queen red sector at 7:25am. as we approached the beach we received a direct hit which set fire to the number two troop space and also holed us on the water line.

it was three hours before we could get a repair. quite a few men on board were badly injured and had to stay on the ship. my my most abiding memory is of seeing our boys, who we had been talking to minutes before, cut down by machine gun fire. they fell into the water, floating face down, and we could not get them out or help them. that is

my most abiding memory and i can't forget it. thank you for listening. 95—year—old frank baugh. we will now hear from the spirit of normandy trust. the duty of providing fighter cover for troops landing on d—day fell to pilots from a number of allied nations. polish spitfire pilot robert nawarski of number 302 squadron had a grandstand view of the landings. from about the middle of april 1944 the squadron was sent to chailey which was not far from lewes in sussex.

it was a very busy time. on d—day itself we were woken up at about 3am and we all headed to the briefing room. that's when they actually told us the invasion had started and we were to patrol a certain area in normandy as fighter cover. we took off about 4am, it was just becoming light and the sight was quite incredible. you could see an armada of ships of different sizes all streaming towards france. by that time, they were virtually there, but there were so many of them you felt that you could almost walk across them to france. when we got to our beach,

which as it happened was quite superfluous, because there was no way that enemy aircraft could have attacked us. the weather wasn't good and there was full cloud cover down to about 2,500 feet. there were no german aircraft in the area. each mission was quite long, we spent about two and a half hours over the area. you saw the troop carriers and chaps moving up the beaches. the german gun emplacements which were covering the beaches were being bombarded by ships at that time and it was quite a sight to see these large ships, four or five miles from the shore. you could see these salvoes coming over and the air would actually shake! when we went back over again later that afternoon,

we could see one ribbon of ships going to france and another coming back again having dropped off their troops. it really was quite a sight, the sort of thing you never forget. richard palusinski, and me now here a setting to music of alfred lord tennyson the's poem crossing the bar by hewson. # sunset and evening star, # and one clear call for me! # and may there be no moaning of the bar, # when i put out to sea # but such a tide as moving seems asleep,

# too full for sound and foam, # when that which drew from out the boundless deep # turns again home. # twilight and evening bell, # and after that the dark! # and may there be no sadness of farewell, # when i embark,

# for tho' from out our bourne of time and place # the flood may bear me far, # i hope to see my pilot face to face # when i have crossed the bar.

# crossed the bar #. we are now going to hear and account read by the mayor of bayeux, patrick gomont. nous etions tous des commandos britanniques, divises en sections. nous vivions et buvions ensemble. le cinqjuin, vers 17h, nous avons ete rassembles et n‘avons commence a nous deplacer que vers 22. nous avons recu un message du roi et de la reine: "bonne chance.

que dieu vous garde". alors que nous approchions de la cote normande, nous entendions les tirs nous survoler et attaquer les defenses allemandes. les allemands ripostaient, mais nous avons reussi a atteindre la cote et debarquer. a notre arrivee, l‘une des embarcations a ete touchee a l‘avant. comme ils se trouvaient a l‘avant de la peniche de debarquement, tous les officiers ont ete blesses. on nous a dit: "des que vous debarquez, courez vers le blockhaus. ne pensez pas a vos amis blesses. ne pensez a rien. ce n‘est pas a vous de vous en occuper. votre infirmier debarquera apres vous pour les aider. courez en direction du blockhaus." nous avons reussi a atteindre le mur et le blockhaus eta le liberer en five minutes. tout le monde avait termine a 11h. les britanniques et nous. ouistreham a ete libere le sixjuin a midi. nous sommes restes 17 jours en premiere ligne, sans releve. seuls 24 d'entre nous ont termine la campagne indemnes.

24 sur 177. c'est tres difficile de perdre des amis. je connaissais un de mes amis depuis 1941. nous faisions partie des commandos, nous nous sommes entraines ensemble. c'est tres difficile de perdre quelqu'un d'aussi proche. j'ai l‘impression d'avoir accompli mon devoir. d'avoir rempli ma mission. c'est tout. patrick gomont, the mayor of bayeux. we are now going to hear from theresa may doing a reading. in the last days the mountain of the lord's temple will be

established as the highest of the mountains, it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. many nations will come and say, "come, let us go up to the mountain of the lord, to the temple of the god ofjacob. he will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." the law will go out from zion, the word of the lord from jerusalem. he willjudge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.

nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the lord almighty has spoken. all the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the lord our god for ever and ever. and now we will hear the hymn, abide with me. # abide with me, fast falls the eventide # the darkness deepens lord, with me abide # when other helpers

fail and comforts flee # help of the helpless, oh, abide with me # swift to its close ebbs out life's little day # earth'sjoys grow dim, its glories pass away # change and decay in all around i see # 0 thou who changest

not, abide with me # i fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless # ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness # where is death's sting? # where, grave, thy victory?

# where is death's sting? where grave thy victory? # i triumph still, if thou abide with me abide with me and we will now hear the exhortation by ray lord.

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.

music: last post

music: reveille we are now going to hear the words

of the kohima epitaph by alan harris. kohima was that epic battle. at one point the indian force was vastly surrounded by a japanese force. and they fought on a tennis court. when you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today. the words of kohima reminding us of course that this was a world war that was fought on many theatres. the men achieved a great victory,

they fought through kohima, and took they fought through kohima, and took the japanese surrender. very shortly now, we will have the beginning of the wreath—laying, and we will begin with the prince of wales, followed by the prime minister, and other dignitaries.

the prime minister now steps forward and she is accompanied by the minister of the french armed forces.

florence pa rly. and now we have the commonwealth war games vice commission president,...

i would now like to invite the norman diva at their wreaths, and as they do so, we now sing to lord's my shepard and please come after the hem, do feel free to set. —— the normandy that are in is.

# the lord's my shepherd # i'll not want # he makes me down to lie # in pastures green # he leadeth me # the quiet waters by # my soul he doth restore again # and me to walk doth make # within the paths of righteousness

# e'en for his own name's sake # yea though i walk # through death's dark vale # yet will i fear no ill # for thou art with me, # thy rod and staff me comfort still # my table thou hast furnished

# in presence of my foes # my head thou dost with oil anoint, # and my cup overflows # goodness and mercy all my life # shall surely follow me # and in god's house for ever more

# 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 # # we will remember them the words of for the fallen. looking for freedom, you only found regrets. only a coward would run away. leave

your past behind you, there is hope ahead. i your past behind you, there is hope ahead. lam your past behind you, there is hope ahead. iamjoined your past behind you, there is hope ahead. i am joined again by dan snow and robert. both of you have been mingling with veterans. darn you have travelled with them on the boat across from britain. what are your thoughts as you look at this extraordinary ceremony taking place? it has been rather difficult for three others. it is almost overwhelming. the motion being betrayed by these men who have suffered so much and experienced so much trauma and yet usually appear so much trauma and yet usually appear so brave and nonchalant. laying the rates it appears to have bubbled up for some of them. paying respect to

their fallen comets. there is something remarkable seeing an old veteran with tears in his eyes and then saluting. i suspect men who have not cried in front of their families. that seems to be a theme, the men who did not come home and talk but got on with rebuilding a broken country. some of them were in their early 20s, even teenagers. something which would define them for the rest of the life was over before they reached full adult hood. iam before they reached full adult hood. i am pretty struck because a lot of those people, there was a contrast where many of them are conscripts. yet as you can see they are enormously proud of what they did. so there are conflicting emotions. they are furious they were forced to go onto these beaches and yet all these years later there is a pride and they do salute. one striking

thing, there is a much greater poignancy this year. i think everyone has been struck by her emotional the 75th anniversary has been. a lot of them said i do not think there will be another anniversary like the 50th. but there is so much more emotion in the air. let's watch the procession of veterans and their laying of the wreath.

almighty god, the source of life, we offer to you our thanksgiving and praise for your sustaining and guiding spirit on d—day and throughout the normandy campaign. keep us always mindful of your abiding and gracious presence. lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. almighty god, in whose son jesus christ the dead are raised to new life, we remember today those whose lives were lost. as by their service the cause of freedom and peace were advanced,

so by the hallowing of their memories may we all seek those things that are above, in god's perfect kingdom in which no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness. lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. almighty god, the source of all peace, we remember before you those who work for good in all places of conflict and war. turn the hearts of all towards the ways ofjustice and mercy. lord, in your mercy, all: hear our prayer. almighty god, whose compassion fails not, we commend to your care those who continue to suffer as a result of conflict and war. comfort the bereaved, uphold the injured, and support

all whose lives have been devastated by violence. lord, in your mercy, all: hear our prayer. almighty god, the source of all hope, we look to you for help and strength as we commit ourselves to living according to your word in the days ahead. surround us with your love, and enable us to truly dedicate ourselves to your purposes. lord, in your mercy, all: hear our prayer. merciful father, accept these prayers for the sake of your son, our saviourjesus christ. amen. let us pray together the prayer our saviour christ has taught us. our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. thy kingdom come, thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven. give us this day our daily bread. and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. for thine be the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. amen. go forth into the world in peace. be of good courage. hold fast that which is good. render to no—one evil for evil. strengthen the faint—hearted, support the weak, help the afflicted, honour all people. love and serve the lord, rejoicing in the power of the holy spirit and the blessing of god almighty, the father, the son and the holy spirit, be amongst you and remain with you always.

amen. # god save our gracious queen # long live our noble queen # god save the queen # send her victorious # happy and glorious # long to reign over us # god save the queen. #

# allons enfants de la patrie le jour de gloire est arrive # contre nous de la tyrannie l'etendard sangla nt est leve # l'etendard sanglant est leve! # entendez—vous dans les campagnes mugir ces feroces soldats # ils viennentjusque dans vos bras egorger vos fils, vos compagnes! # aux armes, citoyens formez vos bataillons # marchons, marchons # qu'un sang impur abreuve nos sillons!#

right turn! quick march by mac!

band plays

for many here it will be their last visit. for some it is their first. a lot of this is about comradeship. the connections made in the heat of battle. i remember speaking to many soldiers who have said, when you're in the thick of it, you are not fighting for a cause. you are fighting for a cause. you are fighting for a cause. you are fighting for the man beside you. the person shaving the trench or foxhole with you so many friendships forged between men who landed in the d—day beaches. it goes to the heart of comradeship. it was as if it was yesterday for some of them. they don't need any reminding of nicknames or foibles. it is a reunion for them. and they will now meet with the prince of wales. we

see him chatting to the french minister madame parly. he wants to make sure everyone gets a proper introduction. we are looking at a lot of male veterans but there were lots of female veterans in the second world war and on d—day. lots of female veterans in the second world war and on d-day. yes, you had obviously nurses, signals, communications, stores, munitions. women played their part. 500,000 joined the services. millions kept food and munition supplies going. by 1945 you had 100,000 women in the

women's land guard. they will certainly be remembered here today. the prince meeting the first of a group of veterans. the duchess as well. good to see that these veterans have found some shade. it is actual quite warm it there today. it can get very hot. we see the leader of the opposition jeremy corbyn moving through the cemetery. several members of the british establishment being represented here today. the duchess of cornwall making her way through. it is a moment like this when the prince seems most at ease. chatting to these men. they are delighted to see him. he loves hearing their stories.

often, it is a case of asking them a couple of questions about which units they were with what the memories are. and he just wants to stand by and hear them talk. memories are. and he just wants to stand by and hear them talkm memories are. and he just wants to stand by and hear them talk. it was a beautifully crafted and put together ceremony and service. the theme as you would expect was very sombre. looking back at the words red by theresa may where she said they will turn their spears into pruning hooks. nations will not turn against nation. nor will they train for war anymore. that was the great hope with this war that would be left with a world where fascism had been defeated, but soviet totalitarianism was on the rise. perhaps the situation today adds something to the poignancy. there is definitely something very profound

about this anniversary. it has touched people anyway that i think a surprise a lot of people. for all the difference here, what we have seenis the difference here, what we have seen is the state ceremonial. they all have their own little pilgrimages now. over the next few days they will be going across normandy. the prince of wales and duchess of cornwall. looking at some of the grade c. what is so striking about some of the graves here. the heartbreaking inscriptions which have been left by families. families could choose short words to put on the headstone and some of them stop you in your tracks. what once can

you in your tracks. what once can you say? i found myself walking around afterjohn you say? i found myself walking around after john looking you say? i found myself walking around afterjohn looking at row after row of 19—year—olds, 18—year—olds. other nations repatriated to the —— their dead. britain didn't. other nations repatriated to the —— theirdead. britain didn't. it didn't seem possible. so many give careful consideration to the words on their graves. reminding us that this is a day of international commemoration. but also of private grief and remembrance. commemoration. but also of private griefand remembrance. now commemoration. but also of private grief and remembrance. now back to sophie.

lam i am watching these pictures as they walk amongst the graves such. so poignant when you look at the ages of the men buried there. with me in the studio is helen fry, a historian, glyn prysor and james holland. james we were watching the

service of remembrance, the most poignant moment seeing the veterans, many of whom you have met. laying the reefs. it is hardly surprising 75 years on they know they are in the twilight of their years and it is incredibly emotional. it has been a profound experience to watch. that golden generation, slipping away. i think we all feel that. very keenly, that this is our last chance to say thank you to a mass of them. our last chance to recognise the enormity of what they went through. were here, 75 years ago. on d—day. that incredible campaign that followed. they saved europe from tyranny. they stood for mankind. it is something

which should never be forgotten. i think everyone of us who is here feels that. the piece of the cemetery. and then the contrast of what it must‘ve been like 75 years ago. right now the sound is unimaginable but it is what the vetera ns unimaginable but it is what the veterans will talk about. absolutely, very moving. they are a generation, many of whom did not talk about what happened for a very long time. some have onlyjust started talking about it. but it was the moment when they laid their wreaths at the foot of the cross and you could see the emotion break. when the generation came back from the war, they were one of millions. all in the same boat, wanted to put the war behind them. get on with life, get married and getjobs. now they are at the end of their lives and there is a chance to speak about

those events. get some stuff off their chests as opposed to an extent. it must be incredible to look back and wonder how they did it. i remember the letters of an american company commander to another fellow comrades and he said how did we do what we did all those yea rs how did we do what we did all those years ago? and glyn prysor, you work with the commonwealth grace commission and look after the cemetery and take immaculate care of them. looking and walking through them. looking and walking through them yesterday, so many people remarking on how beautiful it was. how beautifully care for it was. you have, many times with individual vetera ns have, many times with individual veterans haven't you ? have, many times with individual veterans haven't you? it has been a huge privilege to spend time efficiency suite. visiting people who they knew when they were very young. one veteran went to see the grave of a man who was only 25 when

he died. he said we all looked up to him. he wasjust 21 at the time. a commander. for him, it was a final goodbye to say goodbye to this man who had died 75 years previously. one inscription that stays with me is that he gave his most precious gift. his unfinished life. and i think many feel that very deeply. those that they left behind gave up their lives and they have been able to live their life. they feel it is the duty to come back and live their lives. and that contrast is marked today, row upon row of 20—year—olds. and very old men in the 90s, someone hundred. it really underlines how short some of these lives were. yes, i think the other thing is veterans coming toa i think the other thing is veterans coming to a cemetery like this, it isa coming to a cemetery like this, it is a deeply moving experience, laying wreaths on the cross. but

many came back all the way through after the second world war. we mustn't forget this as part of a long process of commemorating this battle. and the passing the bat on onto us now. that is the other thing i picked up from the veterans. it is down to us to continue this work. to commemorate and remember but also to try to understand better what they we nt try to understand better what they went through all those years. and helen fry, what about the veterans who wanted to be here but couldn't? because there are 300 to 400. but many more who wanted to take part. we mustn't forget those watching at home today. i know from veterans i have interviewed, and i'm still in touch with, they really wanted to be here today but they are physically frail. so we all are thanks to them to, they are standing there with us today. there were some who were unable to come at the very last

minute because of ill—health. but it must‘ve been very disappointing for them not to be able to join them your. and we feel their spirit hereto. it is like a unification across the channel, veterans touching. we mustn't forget that when we talk to them, we are touching history. and that is profound i think. they were here and they gave everything this so that we could be free. and i feel the next generation is realising that and will hopefully be the guardians of that memory. you do feel that you're touching history, just watching these people, these faces walking through the cemetery today. these people who were here. and we must remember they knew these men, they we re remember they knew these men, they were friends. seeing that he used to

tell good jokes, he played the bagpipes. they remember their spirit evenif bagpipes. they remember their spirit even if they can't remember their features. and that is very precious. something we must not lose. something we must not lose. something we must continue to honour by finding out more about those left behind and telling their stories. and james prince charles told us earlier how important today and being at these commemorative events is to him. in a moment, he is going to enter into the marquee where the vetera ns a re to enter into the marquee where the veterans are going to go and they will have a chance to talk to them again and heartheir will have a chance to talk to them again and hear their stories and their experiences. you can see it really is incredibly important for him to be here? you also get the impression that he really loves that pa rt of impression that he really loves that part of his royal duty. and that's a many talks to love him doing that as well. i think it makes them feel incredibly valued and important. i

hope they feel that every single one of them, whether they are back home watching on television or here, i hope they all feel how truly valued the are. i think anniversaries and particularly big ones are important moments to pause and reflect and think about how we commemorate and how we remember those events of all those years ago. and remember that astonishing collective effort, every single man woman and child of all major nations was affected by the second world war in a way that no other global conflict has touched in quite that same intensity. and so many of the men were civilians. they we re many of the men were civilians. they were conscripted and didn't choose tojoin the military. it is were conscripted and didn't choose to join the military. it is what they had to do. exactly, 7596 conscript army. and they stood up

and did what they had to do. some more readily than others, but even so, most people fighting would never have expected to be wearing uniforms and going into battle on the normandy beaches. some young men here, such a proud day forfamilies. lets go into the cemetery, dan snow is there. iam i am with the head of the british armed forces. general, yourjob is to prepare the armed forces for the present and the future. how important is this for you? absolutely essential. all those who served all those years ago 75 years

ago is at the heart of modern military service. for us, it is a bit on what they did, also about learning the lessons from what they did. they fought for our freedom and fundamentally that is what we stand for now. there is much we can learn what they did in assuring that task in the future. it is amazing seen the young men and servicemen here who are the age that these veterans we re who are the age that these veterans were back in 1944. what is it mean to them? they would recognise that what is fun about these events is the story that come out. this is all about friendship and the reason these men fought so bravely all those years ago is because it did not want to let their friends in. and for the youth of today it is absolutely no different and they would have learned that lesson powerfully from those veterans that they have been helping today. general, thank you very much indeed.

and we continue looking at these imagery is from the bayeux cemetery. the final resting place of many service men on this 75th anniversary of d—day. with hundreds of veterans being joined by royals and political leaders, with the focus very much on those veterans remembering their fellow servicemen who did not come home from d—day. by

by the following day, the city became the first in france to be liberated from the nazis. it is something the people here have never forgotten. the people of bayeux helping to keep the graves of this war cemetery in pristine condition. and such a raw emotion felt throughout the years, and hearing the voices of those war veterans, where the service has just ended in this cemetery, that d—day veteran frank baugh saying that his most abiding memory of that day are seeing our boys cut down by machine gunfire, seeing our boys cut down by machine gun fire, floating face down, we

couldn't get them. that is my most abiding memory of that day, he said. and the service that has just taken place here, the latest in a series of events to mark this 75th anniversary. by the end of sixth june 1944, almost 4,500 allied troops had been killed and thousands more had been wounded or were missing. d—day marked the start of the liberation of nazi—occupied western europe. let's remind ourselves of this morning's events. commemorations began with the sound of bagpipes marked the exact moment allied troops landed on gold beach 75 years ago.

that was on mulberry harbour at arromanches. prime minister theresa may and president macron of france were at a ceremony to unveil a new memorial to the thousands of soldiers who died this day 75 years ago. the british normandy memorial where the prime minister theresa may saying at that ceremony, that those men would always be remembered for their service and sacrifice. these young men belonged to a very special generation, the greatest generation. a generation whose unconquerable spirit shaped our post—war world. they didn't boast. they didn't fuss.

they served. they did their duty. and they laid down their lives so that we might have a better life and build a better world. the memorial built here will remind us of this, of the service and sacrifice of those who fell under british command in normandy, of the price paid by french civilians, and of our duty and our responsibility to now carry the torch for freedom, for peace and for democracy. i want to thank all those involved in this memorial. george batts and the veterans who have campaigned so hard to make it happen. the people of ver—sur—mer there and philippe 0nillon, the town's mayor.

here in normandy, the names of those british men and women who gave their lives in defence of freedom will forever sit opposite their homeland across the channel along with those of our allies. here in normandy we will always remember their courage, their commitment, their conviction. and to our veterans here in normandy today, i want to say the only words we can. thank you. theresa may speaking at the inauguration of the british normandy commemoration. paying tribute to those veterans who had made the journey to northern france today. president trump and president macron attended a ceremony the us war cemetery at omaha beach.

translation: on behalf of my country, on behalf of france, i bow down before their bravery. i bow down before the immense sacrifice of the 37,000 killed, the 19,000 reported missing, who died as heroes in normandy, between june and august 1944. and, who for many were to rest there for eternity. i bow down to our veterans and i say thank you. we know what we owe to you veterans. our freedom. on behalf of my nation, i just want to say thank you. applause

here, in london, as well, a gun salute from hms belfast on the river thames. and following on from those events in portsmouth yesterday, in the uk, continuing to mark the 75th anniversary of d—day. earlier my colleague anna foster spoke to robert marsh, director of fundraising at combat stress — a veterans' mental health charity the awareness of mental health amongst society generally has increased, but i think also, the young royals have done an enormous amount to help that, but there is still some stigma around, and what we are trying to do, is make sure that physical injury does have parity of esteem with mental health injury, as well. things like today are really important, and one of the things

that is great about arromanches, is the geography has not changed in 75 years. there is still the hills that way, and the mulberry harbour out there, that you can still see, and you just get a sense of what it might have been like 75 years ago. particularly with this throng that is here on the beach today. i wonder what it must have been like for some of these veterans, because they come back to this place where many of them saw unimaginable horrors, and while the picture here today is very different, it must in some cases bring back some very difficult memories. i am sure it does, and actually, i think a lot of people would be surprised to learn that combat stress still has someone on its books that is age 97. the average age of the veterans that we look after today is in their early 40s, but also as young as in their 20s. on average, veterans come to us 13 years after they have left the armed services, which means that a lot of the things that you and i take for granted, in terms of having a relatively

normal and stable life have withered away, so family, friends, job, house, those sorts of things, so the sooner people are able to seek help, often the better the prognosis for them, and they can start their journey to recovery. a lot of the memories that we have, a lot of what we know about d—day has been pieced together from the stories of the veterans that have talked about it over the years, but i realise that that is a very individual thing, and while some veterans might like to talk about it, find some comfort in that and sharing their story, there will be many veterans who internalise that, it is not necessarily something they want to go over again. it no, quite right, and that is why funnily enough, combat stress does offer a myriad of interventions to try and draw out some of those stories, so art therapy, for example, not talking, but getting done what is in your mind using paints, crayons,

pencil, whatever it is, and men are very difficult characters, in terms of seeking help. the military male is even worse. but, i think, if we can de—stigmatise, and normalise, this is a perfectly normal reaction to a set of extreme conditions, then more and more people will seek help, which is great. and how important is an event with people like this, for you raising the awareness of combat stress? i know you are not here alone. it is massive for us, in terms of raising awareness and fundraising. we are running a challenge today, which is a d—day 44 challenge, and we are doing it in collaboration with combat stress, blesma and blind veterans uk. it is a 44 mile ultramarathon to pegasus bridge, and we have got walkers who go from arromanches

to pegasus bridge, which is 22 miles. we talked about the geography. these people get a sense of what it might have been like. things have not changed, and i havejust spoken to one of the runners, and he said, the great thing is it's not a race, it is a challenge, and they stop for a minute's silent on the cliffs up over omaha beach. and so, i think, recognising the sacrifice that that special generation made 75 years ago, and what is now a challenge run, is an appropriate and great way to celebrate those veterans of yesteryear. that was robert marsh from combat stress. we a re that was robert marsh from combat stress. we are now going to bring you other major news that has been breaking this morning. car—maker ford has announced plans to close its engine plant in bridgend, south wales, next year, leading to 1,700 job losses at the factory. the company has blamed the ending of a contract with jaguar land rover, and a fall in sales of petrol engines. let's go to the ford hq in brentwood now and speak

to our correspondent katy austin. is there any prospect of any of these jobs are is there any prospect of any of thesejobs are being is there any prospect of any of these jobs are being saved? work we deployed elsewhere? potentially, but what we do know, is the 1700 workers who work at bridgend have had potentially their worst fears confirmed this morning. ford have said that they are considering closing the plant there. fewer jaguar engines had been made that than previously, and already this year we had had thatjob losses were going to go from there. today, ford haveissued going to go from there. today, ford have issued a statement, talking about the need to create a sustainable business in europe, looking at this as part of a global plan to reorganise its business for the future, to make it profitable, moving towards things such as electric vehicles which the plant at bridgend did not caterfor in its current form. ford has said it will support workers to find otherjobs, or to be redeployed at other sites,

which could include this one in essex. there has been a meeting here in essex, between the ford management and unions this morning, who have been told of the planned closure. we believe that workers are being told about the close of this morning. iam being told about the close of this morning. i am joined being told about the close of this morning. iamjoined by being told about the close of this morning. i am joined by a representative from the new knight union. it seems like the closure was inevitable? —— unite union. union. it seems like the closure was inevitable? -- unite union. we don't believe it simply has to close. it may become inevitable because of the actions of the company. when the company wanted to start building the dragon engineer, talked about... because they have put that global platform elsewhere, as well, with low cost economies. this is an important profitable market for ford for selling cars, and we believe they should be building engines here, and supporting the markets, on what they rely to make their profits

and. ford has today, they are still committed to the uk, to the other sites, and the workers might be able to find otherjobs there. it sounds like the company is prepared to support workers from there? they do say that, but unfortunately, you can onlyjudge them say that, but unfortunately, you can only judge them by say that, but unfortunately, you can onlyjudge them by their actions. we are down to five plants in the uk. this will be for if this goes through. the leopard has not changed its spots, and we will be looking for a further commitment. at this moment in time, we are not looking beyond bridgend. we want to talk about bridge met —— bridgend. beyond bridgend. we want to talk about bridge met -- bridgend. so ford has said that it is going into consultation mode. it has not necessarily said the plant will definitely close. what will be the impact on the community now, in bridgend and wales more widely?m will be absolutely devastating. not just a bridgend, devastating to wales as the country in the region. it will be devastating to uk manufacturing, because the supply

chain goes to the four corners of the uk. it goes wider, into europe. notjust devastating to the uk. it goes wider, into europe. not just devastating to the manufacturing sector, but to the communities, to the local pubs and clubs and shops that will also be hit as a result of this. so it is absolutely dreadful news, and a betrayal of ford workers. and finally, what was the atmosphere like in the meeting? were people expecting it? people were were expecting it? people were were expecting it, it has been some time in coming. it was a lack of action. from the company. unfortunately, the relu cta nce from the company. unfortunately, the reluctance from the company to move forward with getting new products in there, has got us to the stage. thank you so much forjoining us. workers have been told, this morning, we understand of the proposed closure of the ford plant. ford has said in the past that there was very concerned ford has said in the past that there was very concerned about the prospect of a node or brexit. but it is not talking about brexit today.

it says this is about taking the global business into the future. very worrying time is now for all of those who face the prospect of losing theirjobs in bridgend. thank you, katie downside ford hq in brentwood. there has been a rather stern exchange about this in common today. graham stuart hitting out at labour mps for today. graham stuart hitting out at labourmps for blaming today. graham stuart hitting out at labour mps for blaming the news about bridgend, about the ford factory at bridgend on brexit. mr stuart saying the automotive industry is in flux, and to make it about brexit is to lead people astray. he was answering a question from mr davies, who said the workers in the area, who voted for brexit did not vote to lose theirjobs, and argued they deserved a final say on

argued they deserved a final say on a final deal, to stay in the eu and not lose theirjobs, a final deal, to stay in the eu and not lose their jobs, but a final deal, to stay in the eu and not lose theirjobs, but this was what mr stewart was responding to, saying that this was a false argument for a second referendum. a pretty angry exchange on the commons on that. voting in the peterborough by—election is underway. the election was triggered when the former labour mp fiona onasa nya was removed from office after being jailed for lying about a speeding offence. 15 candidates are standing. the result is expected in the early hours of tomorrow. an independent investigation into a failed nhs trust has been commissioned by health minister stephen hammond following concerns that 150 deaths were not properly looked into. the probe into liverpool community health will examine "historic patient safety incidents" between 2010 and 2014.

last year a review into the trust — which no longer exsists — found that it was "dysfunctional from the outset". companies should encourage their employees to take up lunch—time classes such as spinning or yoga to beat obesity. the national institute for health and care excellence says workplaces could highlight local gym classes in an effort to encourage healthier lifestyles. other measures include holding meetings standing up, and asking staff to use the stairs instead of lifts. it's a win for employees, because they'll get more exercise, they'll lose weight, they'll be fitter. it's also a benefit to employers, because staff are more engaged, they're healthier, they'll take less time off work, and they'll be more productive, when they've spent a bit of time over lunch doing some exercise. young people are less likely to move away from home in search of better—paid jobs, because potential salary gains are swallowed by rent prices. the thinktank, the resolution foundation, says that young people can no longer afford to move to cities where wages are higher.

the number of people aged 25 to 34 starting a newjob and moving home has nearly halved over the last two decades. the time is exactly 12:50pm. let's return to the coverage of the d—day landings commemorations. theresa may and emmanuel macron have unveiled a new war memorial overlooking gold beach. it carries the names of many people who lost their lives in the battle of normandy. remarkably, only two of those names are women, nurses who died when their hospital ship hit a who died when their hospital ship hita mine who died when their hospital ship hit a mine and sank off the coast.

she is in there somewhere. dorothy qualified at king's college hospital in london. molly and dorothy were on board the carrier, amsterdam, when it hit a mine and sank off the normandy coast. the nurses help to save 75 wounded men before losing their lives when the ship went down. it was 7am on a foggy sunday morning. the amsterdam was waiting to go home full of injured men in the wards below decks. as she swung an anchor, a mine hit the engine room, the lights went out, and the amsterdam was broken into. she and the other sister on board, dorothy field, were taken on to the lifeboat, and they were therefore

technically rescued, but they went back again and again and again, and between them, they rescued 75 structure bound troops, and sadly, they went for another lot, and the ship went down, and that was the end of molly. this photograph was taken two days before the sinking. it shows the wounded soldiers being winched aboard of juno shows the wounded soldiers being winched aboard ofjuno beach. one of the crew who survived remembers a dreadful expression. he wrote, i was trying to escape the shrinking swept wet —— sinking sweep when ice —— sinking ship when i saw a nurse. the reason the amsterdam was ofjuno is because of the harbour here. landing craft were able to get in and out through this channel, taking injured soldiers back through the ship. it was about to make is thatjourney home when disaster struck. dorothy

and molly were awarded the king is commendation for bravery, and they are the only two women named on the commonwealth war graves commission memorial at bayeux in normandy, two out of nearly 2000 with no known graves. it is almost unimaginable, the confusion when it hit. no one would have known what was going on, or how long they had to make their escape. so for dorothy and molly to go back and help men reach the upper decks, with no sense of their own safety, i think that takes a remarkable amount of courage and bravery. i think it would have been difficult for them to know how long they had, it would have been very difficult to get those men up, though 75 men in a very short space of time. it is a remarkable feat in itself, and of course, in helping save those lives, they lost their own lives that morning. it is reported it took eight minutes for

the amsterdam to think of the sea bed of normandy, where it lies today around 20 metres down. 106 lives we re around 20 metres down. 106 lives were lost. the survivors wrote letters of gratitude to the parents of the nurses. the captain said dorothy was the bravest woman he had ever known. the letters landed at molly's home in so, and it dorothy's pa rents molly's home in so, and it dorothy's parents home near ringwood. and look what i found at the back of the garage, a packing crate, he is using it for storage. i will read the name, d field. it for storage. i will read the name, dfield. queen it for storage. i will read the name, d field. queen alexander imperial nursing service. this, i think was dorothy's box of possessions that was sent home to her parents after she died. dorothy was 32, molly died a week before her 28th birthday. she was about to be married. before being taken by the cold english channel, they help to save 75 men, one for each year that

has passed. two of the names on the british normandy memorial, which we will remember almost 22,000 servicemen and women from d—day 75 yea rs servicemen and women from d—day 75 years on. it's almost time for the 1pm news with naga munchetty in arromanches and ben brown in london but before the weather, on this momentous day, let's leave you with some of the moving moments from this morning, marking the 75th anniversary of the d—day. music: la marseillaise

applause choir sings

my most abiding memory of that day is of seeing our boys, who we had been talking to minutes before, and they were cut down with machine—gun fire. it was pretty bad at that time. they fell into the water, floating face down, and we couldn't get them out. we couldn't help them. and that is my most abiding memory. and i can't forget it. a lot going on with our weather over the next few days. sunshine and showers for the rest of the afternoon, and then shoot through tomorrow, and into the weekend, outbreaks of heavy rain at times, and unseasonably brisk winds, as well. temperatures through the

afternoon 14—19dc, sunshine and heavy that showers than most. so more persistent rain across northern scotland. that will tend to clear northward does bigotry tonight, leaving a zone of clear skies, under which it will be chilly. parts of scotland, down to one or 2 degrees, but by the end of the night, things had very wet across the channel islands, and then that rain starts to push in southern areas and the midlands, as it moves towards friday and rush hour, some difficult conditions through the morning, that wet and increasingly blustery weather, will push across northern england, eventually into southern... top temperatures between 15 and 18 celsius.

hundreds of veterans gather in normandy for a day of commemorative events, honouring those who helped liberate europe and change the course of world war two. the prime minister gives her thanks to the veterans, and tells them june 6th 1944 was a day when they helped build a better world. these young men belonged to a very special generation, the greatest generation. a new memorial is unveiled to those who made the ultimate sacrifice,