D-Day

Seventy-five years ago, the most audacious plan to retake Europe was launched:

When he set sail 75 years ago it was as part of the largest seaborne invasion in history; an armada of 7,000 ships so vast bystanders observed one could practically walk across the Channel.

Last night (Sunday) as the sun dipped over the white cliffs of Dover and MV Boudicca powered out across a glittering millpond sea, Fred Brunt found himself once more aboard a ship heading to the beaches of northern France — for the first time since D-Day.

“It’s hard to say why I’ve never been back,” says Mr Brunt, who on June 6, 1944 was a young able seaman and the coxswain of a landing craft transporting a tank on to Sword Beach during the first wave of Operation Overlord.

“It will be an emotional journey. One thing I shall never forget is all the dead bodies. I’m looking forward to stepping out again on Sword Beach and will think of all those young men.” The 94-year-old is one of 255 Normandy veterans aboard the cruise ship, which has been chartered by the Royal British Legion to sail between commemorative events over the week ahead.