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VIDEO: Leeds veterans remember the D-Day beaches
Sixty-five years ago, soldiers were fighting and dying on the blood-soaked beaches of Normandy in the long-awaited invasion of German-occupied Europe.
We have been talking to some of the men who survived to mark the anniversary of the D-Day landings in northern France.
Stan Ellis, No.3 Commando
VETERAN Stan Ellis was so traumatised by his experences on D-Day, he has never felt able to speak about it – until now.
The 86-year-old is preparing to return to Normandy for the first time to mark the 65th anniversary of the landings.
He wanted to visit the French coast because he thought it would be the last chance he had to pay his respects to his fallen comrades from No.3 Commando, although he has never had the mental strength to return before.
He suffered a deep shrapnel wound in his head during the Normandy landings, after which he spent several months in hospital.
"It's going to be a very emotional experience and I find it very hard to talk about it," said Mr Ellis, who lives in Pudsey, Leeds.
"I saw a lot of my friends killed that day. I'm hoping to visit two or maybe three graves while I'm over there, if I can find them.
"One man got shot down in front of me. Maybe the bullet was meant for me, I don't know. I still have flashbacks today."
Mr Ellis joined the army in 1942 after two of his friends were killed, because he "couldn't stay in Leeds and do nothing".
He completed his initial training with The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, before moving to No.3 Commando.
The unit suffered heavily during the war and lost many soldiers, during tough stints in North Africa and Sicily.
When he returned to Leeds, Mr Ellis worked as a slaughterman and married his late wife Phyllis in 1947.
They had seven children, while Mr Ellis now has two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
"We were there for a job and we did our job," he added. "We had some great officers who led us all the way.
"It's going to be one of the last memorials with veterans so I thought I'd better do it. I've never felt able to go through with it before.
"I'll be thinking about all my friends who fell while I'm standing there. They were very brave men."
RAF Elvington pilgrimage
VETERANS of the unique French squadrons which operated out of RAF Elvington made a pilgrimage back to the former airbase – now the Yorkshire Air Museum – to mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day.
The five veterans, aged between 87 and 91, were involved in the filming of a French documentary about their lives in York and the operations over Europe conducted from RAF Elvington.
346 Guyenne Squadron and 347 Tunisie Squadron were formed around the remnants of the French Air Force in 1944, with 346 Squadron involved in operations on the Normandy coast just days before D-Day.
Museum director Ian Reed said: "These young men, far away from their homes and their families, had the unenviable task of often bombing their own country, and 50 per cent never made it home. They were brave men and well known throughout York.
"Their stories in this new film are exceptionally heart-warming, especially about the English people, and we were pleased to welcome them "back to base" once again".
Former British Lions star John Bentley will captain a rugby legends side at a charity match in Moortown, Leeds, on Saturday. All money raised from the event, at Moortown Rugby Club, will go to Help for Heroes.
Sydney Parker, Royal Army Ordnance Corps
WHEN 160,000 troops hit the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, 85-year-old veteran Sydney Parker wasn't far behind.
Mr Parker, who now lives in Armley, Leeds, was part of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, serving with 15 Forward Trailer Section.
The unit's job was to follow the soldiers as they advanced into Europe, moving from France to Belgium and then Germany itself.
Mr Parker and his wife Lily return to the beaches of Normandy every year, where they visit the caf at Pegasus Bridge – the first place to be liberated by the British Army – and cemeter-ies where some of Mr Parker's friends are buried.
This year, they have also accepted a personal invitation to attend a memorial service at Periers Sur Le Dan.
"It's important to me that we pay regular visits and respect the men who died there," he said. "I know quite a few men who are buried there and we always go and visit their graves. The sacrifices they made are something we should never forget."
Mr Parker met his wife at a dance in Leeds and married her in 1950, while continuing his civilian job as a tailor.
His big family – he is one of nine children – moved between Armley and Wortley, although Mr Parker eventually settled in Armley.
"There were times when the war was very scary," he said. For me, I try to imagine in my head what the beaches were like at that time.
"In Antwerp, they were using V2 bombs and if you heard them coming, you were all right. If you didn't hear them, they got you.
"I once got blown across a room by a bomb and was surrounded by wreckage. It affected me for a long time afterwards."
Harry Thrush, 7th Mountain Regt Royal Artillery
WIDOWER Harry Thrush is a familiar face at remembrance events, having thrown himself into the veterans' scene after his beloved wife died.
The 85-year-old, who proudly wears his war medals on the left side of his jacket, is among those heading to Normandy for the 65th commemorations.
The former gunner was one of seven children born to George and Hannah Thrush of Holbeck, Leeds, who all served in the Second World War.
But Mr Thrush, who now lives in Robin Hood, is the only one still alive – and he said he'd remember his siblings during the emotional ceremony.
"When my brother died two years ago, I cleaned out his cupboards and found all his medals," he said. "I keep them safe. They're very special to me.
"I will be proud to be in Normandy to remember the fallen. But first and foremost, I'll think about my family and the brothers and sisters I've lost."
Mr Thrush, who married his late wife Caroline in 1947, spent a tough two-year stint in Italy with the 7th Mountain Regiment Royal Artillery.
The dad-of-three saw some horrific sights, including two of his own men being killed when a shell exploded in the barrel of a gun.
"One of them had half his face blown off and the other had his stomach hanging out," he said. "We took our mountain jackets off and tied them together to make a stretcher because we couldn't wait for an ambulance. But they both died. It was horrible."
When his wife died two years ago, Mr Thrush devoted himself to attending veterans' events and remembrance parades across West Yorkshire.
One day, he also hopes to pay another visit the Italian town of Salerno, where he spent much of his time during the Second World War.
"I've only started doing this over the last eight to 10 years," he said. "When my wife died, I thought it was something to keep me active.
"I like seeing the old Army lads and getting them talking. It's good to remember what happened instead of sitting there and doing nothing."
Sam Cowley, 21st Independent Parachute Regt
AS secretary and treasurer of the Rothwell Branch of the Royal British Legion, 86-year-old Sam Cowley is a very busy man.
The D-Day veteran, who was left with a scar running down the length of his face following the events of June 6, 1944, devotes a huge amount of time to the charity, in a lasting tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives over the years.
"I was hit by shrapnel but I consider myself one of the lucky ones", he said. "I saw some awful things, but it taught me a lot. Joining the army was a life-changing experience in many ways."
He added: "When I hear about soldiers being killed in Afghanistan, it reminds me of the times when we saw lads killed.
"They did a marvellous job. It always makes me cry when I think of them."
Mr Cowley was born in Castleford and served with the 21st Independent Parachute Regiment after joining the army in 1941.
During his training, he became friends with the Hollywood actor Richard Todd OBE, a fellow officer in the Parachute Regiment.
The former engineer, who now lives in Rothwell with his son David, 49, was told by doctors that he couldn't go to France for the 65th commemorations because of his health.
So instead, the sprightly veteran is organising a memorial cabaret on behalf of the Rothwell branch of the Royal British Legion, which will take place at Carlton Working Men's Club next Friday.
"I meet up with a lot of the lads because our experiences drew us together and have kept us together, over the years," he said. "The cabaret night is a chance for us all to get together and have a good time, as well as remembering the events of D-Day."
Unsung Heroes of World War Two
A POWERFUL tribute to the role of British naval veterans during the Normandy landings will be premiered at the Royal Armouries on Saturday.
Unsung Heroes of World War Two: The Royal Navy at Omaha Beach was commissioned to mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day and acknowledges the role of both the British and the Americans on the French beaches.
The film, produced by World War Two oral historian Martyn Cox, includes new, first-hand accounts from six Royal Navy veterans, as well as rarely-seen archive footage of the landings and testimonials and accounts from US soldiers.
Martyn is the son of the late Lieutenant Stanley Cox RNVR, who was second-in-command of a tank landing craft on June 6, 1944.
He said: "Sadly, I never filmed an oral history interview with my father but I found a short written account of his D-Day experiences in his belongings after he died. I recently managed to track down one of his shipmates, John Shine, who told me more of the story.
"John describes on camera that just as my Dad yelled from the bridge for him to keep his head down, a German bullet slammed into the mast just behind my Dad's head. A few inches the wrong way and I'd never have been born and so not made this film."
Martyn made the film on location in Normandy last month, accompanied by two veterans, George 'Jimmy' Green and Ernest 'Joe' Pallent.
The men also attended a pre-65th anniversary memorial service at Omaha, arranged by Help For Heroes.
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