some of the veterans memories were read out. i was 19 when i landed but i was still a boy. the actor martin freeman recounted the words ofjoe mines from the 2nd battalion of the essex regiment, on his first return to normandy. so why would i come back? well, this is the last and only opportunity for me. the last there will ever be, and it s because of the lads. i want to pay my respects to those who didn t make it. may they rest in peace. six miles away onjuno beach, prince william joined canadian veterans. standing here today in peaceful silence, it is almost impossible to grasp the courage it would have taken to run into the fury of battle that very day. thank you for our freedom and thank you for your service.
applause some of the veterans memories were read out. i was 19 when i landed but i was still a boy. the actor martin freeman recounted the words ofjoe mines from the 2nd battalion of the essex regiment, on his first return to normandy. so why would i come back? well, this is the last and only opportunity for me. the last there will ever be, and it s because of the lads. i want to pay my respects to those who didn t make it. may they rest in peace. six miles away onjuno beach, prince william joined canadian veterans. standing here today in peaceful silence, it is almost impossible to grasp the courage it would have taken to run into the fury of battle that very day.
so marin catherine. but there are so few now. i was saying a moment ago, when i first got here in 2004 on gold beachjust in when i first got here in 2004 on gold beach just in front of us, there must have been at least 40 just from one battalion. so there must have been at least 40 just from one battalion. 50 it there must have been at least 40 just from one battalion. just from one battalion. so it is a reminder that just from one battalion. so it is a reminder that they just from one battalion. so it is a reminder that they are just from one battalion. so it is a reminder that they are the - just from one battalion. so it is a reminder that they are the few i just from one battalion. so it is a l reminder that they are the few but the impact each one of them, you feel you want to hear them speak the whole afternoon. you feel you want to hear them speak the whole afternoon. whole afternoon. you ust want to sit and soak whole afternoon. you ust want to sit and soak it h who
joe mines, 2nd battalion essex regiment, landed here on gold beach 80 years ago today. he joins us and allowed me to share these memories with you: applause i ve never been back here for 80 years. i ve often thought, what do i go back for? after all the terrible things i ve seen. it s like a picture book up there. i can visualise everything. i landed onjune the 6th, 1944 at a place called ver sur mer. the germans pulled back, so it allowed us to clear the mines on the beach. that was the firstjob i got