"Our gratitude is unfailing, and our admiration eternal"

About D-Day

Unprecedented coordination between Allied nations, and the intensive planning of engineers, meteorologists, logisticians and countless more, led to a force from 13 countries approaching Normandy in a 5000-vessel armada.

In the early hours of D-Day, 24,000 paratroopers and glider-borne troops landed behind German lines to provide tactical support. Massive naval and aerial bombardments attempted to supress the German defences and weaponry. Then a ground force of more than 130,000 troops came ashore on five beaches across a 50-mile stretch of Normandy coast, with the first waves often facing intact defences. By the end of D-Day there had been 10,000 allied casualties. Yet this was only the beginning. The ensuing Battle of Normandy was to last into August and cost tens of thousands of lives as it defeated and repulsed the occupying German forces eastwards. It was a decisive success for the Allies and paved the way for the liberation of much of north west Europe.

'We will remember them'

Earlier today in Normandy, at a service commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day, veteran Ken Hay recited a stanza from the poem For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon, which is known as The Exhortation. It reads:

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old, 

"Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. 

"At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, 

"We will remember them."

A period of silence then followed to remember those who lost their lives there 80 years ago.

The Fares4Free Operations Manager, Leon Fisher, in line with His Majesty the King's speech earlier today, would like to reiterate on behalf of all of the Fares4Free staff, volunteers and board of trustees that "it is with the most profound sense of gratitude that we remember them, and all those that served at that critical time."