D-Day commemorations in Normandy

WORLD LEADERS descended on Normandy yesterday for an emotional ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of D-Day.

Old soldiers from both the UK and the USA stood side by side as they remembered that tragic day in 1944; many of those present saluted the graves of their fallen friends while others looked on recalling memories long buried but still fresh in the minds of some of the veterans as one commented “I look at the beach and I can tell you where each was lying ...I can still see their faces”.

The British Royal Family was in attendance; the Queen, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Prince of Wales were all at Sword Beach, which was taken by the third British Infantry Division, for a remembrance service. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met veterans in Arromanche before travelling to Gold Beach.

That morning the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh paid their respects at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, 4,144 men from the UK, Australia and other parts of the Commonwealth who died fighting the Nazis are buried there, they were later joined by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall who had attended a service at Bayeux Cathedral earlier in the day.

The Royal Couple joined former soldiers in Arromanche, northern France, for a tea party as the events at Sword Beach in Ouistreham drew to a close.

World leaders, including the Putin and Barack Obama, watched an impressive fireworks display above the spot where 29,000 Allied troops faced the onslaught of Nazi Germany 70 years ago.

Obama spoke at the American War Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer where around 10.000 American troops are buried he commented on the actions of his fallen countrymen saying that they had turned the tide in a common struggle for freedom.