Today we remember all those who gave their lives to secure the 80 years of peace we have enjoyed since VE Day, 8th May 1945. As we say goodbye to the last remaining veterans of the Second World War, we look for ways to keep their stories alive. 8 decades after peace was declared in Europe we're thrilled to see HM MASB 27 reunited with Britains fleet of Coastal Forces veterans at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard! Nicknamed "The Surviving Veteran" by our Normandy veteran friends, this one of a kind Motor Anti-Submarine Boat has been dry for several months of essential maintenance and repair. Seeing her back in the water where she belongs is a sight to behold! Her future remains uncertain, but the veterans who followed her long restoration from 2016-2019 were hopeful that she would be restored to the nation to educate and inspire future generations. So that is what we're working hard behind the scenes to achieve! For more information visit her new website... https://thesurvivingveteran.com/ #veday80thanniversary #lestweforget (fb)

We are so sad to have lost another of our dearest veteran friends, Bob Laverty, over the weekend. Bob first came to Normandy with us in 2010 with his partner Audrey and again every year up until our final veterans' pilgrimage to France to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day in 2019. When I look back on our vast collection of photographs from that time, Bob's face pops up again and again... always with a big smile! Bob landed in Normandy a few days after 6th June 1944 with the King's Regiment, aged 19. Due to heavy losses the Regiment was soon disbanded and Bob joined the 59th South Staffordshire Regiment and then finally the Royal Scots Fusiliers. We have a few poignant memories of Bob, but the one that stands out was watching him as he wandered down a row of immaculately kept graves in the most peaceful cemetery you could imagine, nestled beneath a copse of trees amongst sweeping green fields. He suddenly stopped and dropped down to his knees on seeing the name of one of his pals engraved on a stone. He described a scene where "Franky Kehoe" had been hit by a shell whilst they were taking cover behind a hedge. Injured, Bob and another soldier carried Franky back to the nearest Casualty Clearing Station where he had to say so long and return to his post. Bob never knew what happened to him, until that moment. He told us Franky was "just a sweet boy", who seemed so much younger than the rest. It was such a heartbreaking moment, but also a privilege to be there with Bob as he recalled these difficult memories. In 2013 Bob, Ron Minton & Gordon Drabble got talking and discovered they all shared a memory of a battle for a particular country house which the Germans occupied. We did some investigating and discovered it was likely just outside the town of Épron. So we took one of the coaches on a little detour to see if we could find it... and to our astonishment we did! Our marvellous Belgian friend volunteered to knock on the door and the family inside, on hearing the story, generously invited us all into their garden where Bob found the exact spot and view of the house that he remembered from 68 years ago! He shared his story with three generations of the family and the grandmother relayed the story of what had happened to the house during the war. The children insisted on showing Bob their swings and Bob of course couldn't resist a go himself! After Normandy Bob continued the push through Europe which took him into Holland where he had some very special memories of the Dutch people and their kindness to the British soldiers despite their own suffering. In 2018 we filmed Bob as he recounted his memories of Christmas 1944, which are very moving. You can view the short video here... https://www.facebook.com/DDayRevisitedOfficial/videos/2046425408783296 After the war was finished he went on to marry Jessie and have a family of his own. He was a keen swimmer and liked to keep himself in good shape, which obviously served him well as last Wednesday he celebrated his 100th birthday! After his wife died Bob struck up a great companionship with Audrey, who we grew to know and love as well. Our heart goes out to her and to his sons, Andrew and Bernard, as well as his grandchildren. RIP Bob and thank you. We hope you're enjoying a pint in the sky with Franky Kehoe! (fb)