A group of Normandy veterans reunited in Leeds today

A group of Normandy veterans from Yorkshire were reunited in Leeds on Friday.
June Denby and Jack Mortimer in uniform.June Denby and Jack Mortimer in uniform.
June Denby and Jack Mortimer in uniform.

Six veterans were invited to a reunion lunch at the Legion’s Pop-In Centre in Albion Street to relive their recent voyage on a cruise ship chartered by the Royal British Legion to mark D-Day75.

The six included Jack Mortimer, 95, from Leeds and June Denby, 95, from Sherburn-in-Elmet.

June Denby and Jack Mortimer in uniform.June Denby and Jack Mortimer in uniform.
June Denby and Jack Mortimer in uniform.
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They were among 255 veterans who joined the week-long voyage back to the shores of Northern France, as well as the National Commemorative Event in Portsmouth attended by The Queen and world leaders.In honour of all those who served and sacrificed, the Legion hosted two commemorative events in Bayeux on June 6, at the Cathedral and at the CWGC Cemetery.Debbie Harding, the Legion’s Area Manager in Yorkshire, said: “For nearly 100 years The Royal British Legion has provided practical support to the Armed Forces community through welfare and Remembrance activity, and during D-Day 75 the charity placed the Normandy veterans of our Second World War generation at the very heart of all commemorations.“Even before those commemorations, Legion staff visited all of our veterans in their homes to offer support, and that support will continue now they’ve returned to Yorkshire. From the beginning it has been the Legion’s guiding principle to ensure our Normandy veterans are treated with the honour, dignity and respect they deserve.”

June 6, 2019 marked the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings – one of the most remarkable Allied wartime operations and the biggest amphibious invasion in history.

The operation was unlike any other in the levels of collaboration seen between the Allied nations, the French resistance, the home front, and the momentous efforts of those on the front line that led to the eventual liberation of Europe.

Jack Mortimer.Jack Mortimer.
Jack Mortimer.
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Jack Mortimer, 95, from Leeds

Jack was a despatch driver, behind the wheel of a jeep carrying ammunition and mortars on D-Day. He served with 12th Ordnance Beach Detachment.

He landed on Sword Beach, as shells and mortars flew overhead, before advancing on to Caen.

June Denby.June Denby.
June Denby.

He said: “It was dangerous, there were snipers around. It was noisy and smoky when we landed, and I remember seeing lots of casualties.”

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Jack, who was born in Morley, was just 20 years old on D-Day

June Denby, 95, from Sherburn-in-Elmet

June served in Normandy as a driver based just outside of Caen. She has two long service medals from the Royal British Legion Legion for poppy collecting.

June said: “Being a woman didn’t make any difference, we were all drivers, I don’t feel I stood out particularly, drivers were drivers. I remember being in convoys where there were only two or three women, but it didn’t matter."I don’t think we ever really considered or realised what a contribution we were making, we just took it for granted, at that age you don’t really appreciate what the War is.

"Caen was only five or six miles away and we could hear the gunfire. I travelled all over, thought nothing of driving 300 miles a day, taking senior officers to various camps, sometimes staying the night.

"There was never any traffic on the road, which was quite eerie, unless you happened to come across a convoy.”.