thousands of people call for large ships to be banned from venice's main canal, days after a cruiseliner crashed into a tourist boat. england and scotland fans descend on the south of france, as the two teams prepare to go head—to—head in the women's world cup. now on bbc news. it's been an emotional week for those marking the 75th anniversary of d—day. in this programme, we follow three hundred normandy veterans as they board a ship, re—creating thatjourney across the channel, 75 years ago. it isa it is a duty to go back. i feel it isa it is a duty to go back. i feel it is a duty. what these men dead on

d—day was the most important. is a duty. what these men dead on d-day was the most important. in june 1944, allied forces invaded that he occupied normandy. 75 years on, we follow a group of five vetera ns as on, we follow a group of five veterans as they return to beaches for what could be the last time. you never forget it. it is they are. i sometimes lay in bed and go through it all. lam 95, i have i am 95, i have one or two more. they are here to pay tribute to eve ryo ne they are here to pay tribute to everyone who never made it back. they are here to pay tribute to everyone who never made it backli hope it will bring it home to those people exactly what happened. what

we did. 75 years ago, these men set sail for the normandy beaches. i was winded the normandy beaches. i was winded the first wave end. . —— wounded. now 300 of them are returning to normandy. the veterans were part of one of the most ambitious military operations ever attempted. d—day.

boarding ships for the battle of normandy. the army group is made up of british, canadian and american forces. some of them had been back before but never on a journey quite like this. this will be my third visit. totally different to the other two because the other two were just a small group of normandy get. but nothing as big as this one. they are aged between 90 and 101. for some, this will be the last time they are able to make the trip. we took the village on the 8th ofjuly.

able to make the trip. we took the village on the 8th ofjuly. there is always a lot of comradeship. not that we ever talked about all the things we've done. a big battle that was. you did what you had to do and hoped everything would be ok. was. you did what you had to do and hoped everything would be 0k.|j was. you did what you had to do and hoped everything would be ok. i am looking forward to other veterans to certainly. when they first boarded the ships, many of them did not realise what lay ahead. i wanted to go in the air force but everyone else did. so, i was given the option of the army or navy or the royal marines. my mother thought i would look better in nearly blew so joined the navy.

ended up as a sublieutenant. pretending to be a gentleman as well as an officer. part of our invasion fleet is engaged in exercises in britain. what did you think of tanks came? i was always uncomfortable inside one. very really, never put the lid on the top. it was wartime and you are subtly called up and document. you said goodbye to mum and dad and that was it. he is only and dad and that was it. he is only a boy. all of them wear. i am looking at him thinking that could be the last time i would see him. we

didn't know it was called to d—day. we we re didn't know it was called to d—day. we were simply soldiers training to doa we were simply soldiers training to do a job later. we were training every day. doing assault courses and what's not. i was very fit in those days. i was called up and went to a training battalion. i remembera horrible sword putting you through the mill. we had one card to central to parents. when i was home on leave isaid to to parents. when i was home on leave i said to my mother, we had got a little dog, and i said if i mention the dog being better, you will know that i am about to go over. d—day.

we had plenty to carry. i had to hand grenades in each trouser pocket. a magazine in my pouch. d—day was the largest naval land and air operation ever attempted. we landed on the beaches at the beginning of the biggest most successful triumphant operation of the war. it pushed back german forces in france and the final collapse in germany. with russian help. what they did on d—day was the critical moment when the got the foothold on the beaches and they held that foothold. now 95 ennis has never been back to normandy. he is travelling them back with the sun. you can read about it but when you're talking to the men who did it, it is amazing. ithink it is

amazing. they are all modest people. they don't bang the drum about what they did. but they have a medals which show they were there. i will never have another opportunity to understand first— hand what never have another opportunity to understand first—hand what it was like. any consumer his granddaughter, michelle. like. any consumer his granddaughter, michellem like. any consumer his granddaughter, michelle. it is one of the few times we do talk to each other. they have never bothered to watch in the past. i don't think her family's new much about it. it has been an honourand family's new much about it. it has been an honour and privilege. i couldn't expect anything as big as this. to able to share my memories with my grandad isjust this. to able to share my memories with my grandad is just a this. to able to share my memories with my grandad isjust a real privilege. give them a wave. all those generations who know nothing about it. what can they learn.|j

those generations who know nothing about it. what can they learn. i am overwhelmed to tell you the truth. it makes me feel so proud but humble at the same time. the allied invasion of europe from the west is launched. d—day second front.|j still have my service book which says 11th of june 19114. still have my service book which says 11th ofjune 19114. we went to southampton. that it already been over once with the canadians. i remember getting wet through as we were on deck, we were out in the solent in a long line of ships, and being scared maybe, apprehensive certainly. it was something like more

than 14 hours at sea. they offered us some rum, but i wouldn't take any as i thought i should keep a clear head. there was a point where everybody had to make for. news archive: 4,000 ships and many smaller craft — the gathering of the mighty armada! and what were conditions like? do you want me to swear? they were horrendous. ooh, it were awful. i remember we had some small destroyers escorting us, and one minute they would be on top of a wave, and the next minute you couldn't see it. i was never so sea sick in all my life. the whole crew were.

everyone was a bit quiet. there was a lot on their minds, isuppose. we were just wondering what was going to happen when we got over the other side. it was on the eight o'clock news that morning that some of our troops are in france, and i thought, right, jack, i know where you are now. if you'd just like to turn around sir, and hold on to one of the arms. 0h, get off, i could've run down there. one of the highlights of the voyage is a trip to portsmouth — where some of the men originally set off for the normandy beaches. a bit emotional. i'll have a cry when i get there. but looking forward to it nonetheless. my old sergeant major would have had this organised in no time at all. it's a huge spectacle, watched by millions.

world leaders havejoined the queen to recall the events of d—day. but the focus is on the veterans themselves. i'm honoured to be here with so many other veterans. you never forget your comrades because you're all in it together. 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. it's an unforgettable day, and after the ceremony some veterans have the chance to tell their stories to visiting royalty. today has been great, lovely, beautiful. i shook the president's hand, and i saw the queen's head...

so, a very good, very good day. the day ends with a ceremonial send off from the royal navy, they must think of a hell of a lot of us. more than we deserve, i think. to see my grandad emotional really got me. because he does deserve this, as does everyone else. but he will never get that bit. he will never know how special he is. i thought all the services were very good. well up to standard. burst out crying once or twice. it was really touching. it was the old wartime tunes and stories, what they were saying. it just kept going.

getting a bit choked? needed a couple of tissues, but he was all right. couldn't help it. the ship steams south towards the beach is always in the vetera ns' thoughts. the memories of that june morning feel closer than ever. first light on the first sight of the french coasts, it must have been a quarter of a mile away in the half light. the first thing i saw, as we approached the coast was a dead sailor floating in the sea, which was a little bit of a... oh, dear. enemy shells drop among the landing craft close to the shore. the sea was full of life jackets and blood everywhere. it was quite a mess.

because the canadians had been in front of us. it was the first wave that got shot up. as soon as i hit the water i went down, nearly under. just managed to keep my head above. i kept walking, and it was a shell hole that i'd dropped into. i came up the other side and managed get into the dunes, because there were shots flying everywhere and shell is still coming over. when we got onto the beach, there were four or five dead canadians on the shore.

the tide was lapping over their faces, and we couldn't do a darn thing about it. it was a very sad story. there was a lot of fire, a lot of gunfire going on from whatever. big ones, rocket ships out in the bay, in the channel that were firing. i went like that, i don't know why, but i did, and a piece of shrapnel hit the tin hat, so it was a good job we ducked. the beach itself hasn't changed. that's the vision from up there going to le havre. as a young officer,

eric commanded a landing craft at sword beach. the boots i wore on the day. kept me dry. very good boots. it makes you think of it. damn lucky i am able to come back here to do it, i suppose. not just because i survived at the time, but i've managed to get to 95, which i suppose isn't bad these days. there you are, mate. we did good, didn't we? bloody lucky. d—day was just the beginning. following the invasion, the troops pushed forward into occupied france. news archive: d-day plus one! a widening and deepening foothold on that deadly shore.

strenuous efforts are made to penetrate inland before the full weight of resistance can be brought to bear. the germans occupied a hill. and they could see over a large area. it was up to us to try and take it from them. that was outside caen. well, we took it eventually but we lost 12,000 men. i looked up over this corn field when i saw this tiger tank 20 or 30 yards in front of me, and about 20 gerrys each side. and i grabbed the chap next to me because he was wounded all in the face, he couldn't see very well, and i dragged him along best way i could to slide down this railway embankment. and as i slid down there,

that's where the ss were coming up. they fired at us but missed us. the bullets hit the ground around my feet, about five bullets. that's where i was wounded and taken, you see. ken suffered a shrapnel wound in his leg, after being caught in the crossfire. he was captured by the ss, and received treatment as a prisoner of war. he gave me a spinal injection, which paralysed me from the waist down, and took the shrapnel out of my leg. and he placed it in my hand, which was all blood, and said, "there you are," he said, "souvenir for you," and i've still got it. not everyone was as lucky as ken. 0n d—day alone there

were 10,000 casualties and over 4000 allied servicemen were killed. the final stop on the veterans' voyage is bayeux cemetery this is really what it's all about. to come here and say thank you. seeing our boys, we had been talking to them minutes before, and they were cut down with machine—gun fire. it was pretty bad at that time. they would fall 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. thank you for listening. applause # the lord's my shepherd # i shall not want... there's a lot of lads there that were unlucky, and i thank god that i was lucky.

it's very moving when you see them, they're the people who gave their lives for it. i am very proud and very sad. i met some of the most brilliant people. and nobody is above anybody else. thank you, prime minister. thank you, good to see you. i landed at sword beach. the majority of these lads here most likely saved my life. that's why this place is so dear to me. and in this place of remembrance,

thoughts turn to those who are not here. one of my best mates there was a gentleman by name of freddie gardiner. he was a great friend and also a great pianist. on our way from bayeux up to belgium, we went through caen. there was a canteen in a bombed out church building and in the corner there was a grand piano, with dust, bricks on top of it. so we cleaned this piano and freddie got on the piano and... i'll cry now... ..within ten minutes the place

was heaving on hearing the piano. there was hundreds of soldiers saying, play so—and—so, play this, and freddie played it. it was a great... sorry to lose freddie. i was very lucky. i had some narrow escapes. i think about it every day. it's an old friend. absolutely wonderful. captain, captain. so young.

you talk to younger people about events during the war and they look askance as if it didn't happen. i hope it will bring it home to all the people exactly what happened. not what i did, but what we did. i came home and i was thankful and i appreciate waking up every morning just to see the sky. and the lads who are the heroes are still out there. so grateful to be alive, so grateful to have survived. so sorry so many had to die. so many heroes and there

they lie — normandy. today has been a better start than yesterday. more in the way of sunshine. here is beautiful hastings in east sussex earlier this morning. a satellite picture shows just how much sunshine we have at the moment. still continuing in scotla nd at the moment. still continuing in scotland and ireland. a bit of cloud developing across the south—west and into wales. we run the risk of a few sharp showers may even thundery in

nature across scotland and northern ireland into the afternoon. the best of the sunshine in the south—east albeit turning hazy across the far south—east. there will be a few scattered showers around northern england. much better day than you had yesterday without persistent rain. showers could be thundery again in northern ireland and scotla nd again in northern ireland and scotland the afternoon. lighter winds and certainly more sunshine around. those temperatures should be better than yesterday. 19 or 20 at the very best. 68 fahrenheit. could be better for this the very best. 68 fahrenheit. could be betterfor this time the very best. 68 fahrenheit. could be better for this time of year. things set to deteriorate as we move into monday morning and tuesday. this frontal system producing some fairly consistent rain across england and wales for the next couple of days. first thing monday morning, rain around in the south—east of england, a bit plenty of frequent showers. the best of the sunshine on monday will be in the

north and west. a bit more shelter. highs of 18 degrees in south—west scotland. under the cloud and rain, 13 or 1a at the best. the winds will swing round making it feel cooler. no significant rain for some time across a slang then. a potential for over a couple of inches, maybe more in places. that wet weather still there on tuesday, accompanied by the north—easterly wind. it will feel really quite raw under the cloud and rain. slowly brightening up, the best of the brightness to the north—west again. temperatures 12 to 19 degrees. that area of low pressure will continue north, taking its rain into northern ireland and scotla nd its rain into northern ireland and scotland wednesday and thursday. that means a slow improvement to the south. very unlike june. that means a slow improvement to the south. very unlikejune. wet and windy and feeling cold for the middle of the month.

this is bbc news. the headlines. michael gove acknowledges he committed a crime when he took cocaine while working as a journalist 20 years ago. yes, it was a crime, it was a mistake. i deeply regret it. meanwhile, boris johnson says he would not pay britain's £39 billion brexit divorce bill until better terms are agreed for the uk to leave. thousands of people call for large ships to be banned from venice's main canal — days after a cruise liner crashed into a tourist boat. england and scotland fans descend on the south of france, as the two teams prepare to go head—to—head in the women's world cup. and coming up on bbc news — carrie gracie and a guest panel