Two Normandy veterans say they have been banned from visiting Omaha beach on the 75th anniversary of D-Day because of security for President Trump.
Ken Smith and fellow York veteran Ken Cooke , both 93, from York, will travel to France for one final time next month. The first time they went to Normandy, they landed under heavy fire on Sword beach.
Now they have been told their movements on June 6 will be heavily restricted due to the number of VIPs in attendance – including President Trump.
The pair will be accompanied by a coachload of relatives and supporters on the five-day trip to pay tribute to their fallen comrades.
D-Day veteran Ken Smith, pictured, has been told he cannot visit Omaha Beach in Normandy on the 75th anniversary of Operation Overlord because of the security requirements for US President Donald Trump
Mr Smith, pictured before D-Day, was hit by machine gun fire while storming Sword Beach on D-Day – however he escaped injury as his radio stopped the bullets
Mr Smith said: ‘He said: ‘We didn’t have all this security last time I landed in Normandy. In fact, I didn’t even need my passport’
They will also take part in a British commemoration at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in Bayeux on June 6, the 75 anniversary of the landings.
But the two old soldiers also wanted to visit the other Normandy beaches but have been told they cannot because tight security surrounded the President’s visit.
D- Day veteran Ken Smith, from York, was straffed by machine gun fire as he waded ashore.
Two bullets would have found their mark but they drilled into the radio set the signals operator was carrying on his back.
He fought on to help liberate much of Europe until being wounded months later in fighting on the Dutch-German border.
He said: ‘We didn’t have all this security last time I landed in Normandy. In fact, I didn’t even need my passport.
Both veterans were among the British troops who landed on Sword Beach, pictured on D-Day
‘Most of the veterans are in wheelchairs or need walking frames – so it’s not as if they present any kind of security threat at all.
‘I think Trump is more likely to be bumped off by his own people than one of ours.
‘I wanted to visit Omaha because it was British landing craft that delivered them to the beaches.
‘That was the biggest mistake of Saving Private Ryan that they showed Americans landing the troops.
‘I always like to pay my respects to my fallen American comrades so this is very galling and a bit of a shock.
‘The whole of Normandy is being turned into a no go area and we have got wander around with identity cards around our necks.’
Operation Overlord was the biggest amphibious invasion involving 160,000 Allied forces . More than 4,000 Allied forces were killed on that day alone. It’s unclear exactly how many D-Day veterans are alive today. The survivors are now in their 90s or 100s.
Of the 73,000 Americans who took part, just 30 are currently scheduled to come to France for this year’s anniversary.
All but three of the 177 French forces involved in D-Day are gone.
The two veterans wanted to pay tribute to their fallen comrades at Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer in Normandy which was codenamed Omaha Beach during Operation Overlord
Mr Smith said the movie Saving Private Ryan which featured a battle scene showing American troops landing in Normandy was factually incorrect. He said the landing craft used on the day were British and not American
Mr Smith continued: ‘The security people even want to know out middle names which they didn’t on D-Day and we are banned from most of the American areas.
‘It’s a shame because the Americans really go to town on the anniversaries where as the British tend to do it on the cheap.
‘The most galling thing is this is not a cheap visit for us pensioners. You have to be at least 94 to have landed on Normandy at all.
‘One of the biggest costs is travel insurance – and they weren’t worried about that in 1944 either.’
Mr Cooke, from York, stormed: ‘I think it’s a load of rubbish. Ken especially wanted to go to Omaha beach. It’s a disgrace really.’
President Trump is making a state visit to the UK ahead of the anniversary.
As part of his trip, he will attend a D-Day commemoration in Portsmouth, which has already proved contentious.
A double-layered solid fence is being erected around Southsea Common in Portsmouth.
President Trump and the Queen will attend the event – but ordinary members of the public will be blocked from view.
Gerald Vernon-Jackson, the Liberal Democrat leader of Portsmouth City Council, has said that the US president had not been invited and should not attend because he would take the attention away from the veterans.
He has now revealed that the event will have to be surrounded by a two layers of security fencing, preventing uninvited members of the public from being able to watch the ceremony on Southsea Common also being attended by the Queen.
He said the only way for people to be able to see the proceedings would be on big screens put up on the common or at home on television.
Mr Vernon-Jackson explained that the security measures were being ramped up from those originally planned when the monarch was the only world leader expected to attend.
He added that heads of state of the 14 nations involved in D-Day, as well as the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, had subsequently all been invited.
The official international ceremony will take place on Juno Beach at 6pm on June 6 attended by many heads of state, including President Trump and Theresa May.
Trip organiser Paul Reed said that entering the American sector had never been an option for non-US citizens, once the President’s visit was confirmed.
He said that, in line with previous major anniversaries attended by US presidents, the area would be in lockdown so it was never on the itinerary 16 months ago.
MailOnline has approached the US Embassy for comment.
D-Day: How Operation Overlord turned the tide of war in Europe
Operation Overlord saw some 156,000 Allied troops landing in Normandy on June 6, 1944.
It is thought as many as 4,400 were killed in an operation Winston Churchill described as ‘undoubtedly the most complicated and difficult that has ever taken place’.
The assault was conducted in two phases: an airborne landing of 24,000 British, American, Canadian and Free French airborne troops shortly after midnight, and an amphibious landing of Allied infantry and armoured divisions on the coast of France commencing at 6.30am.
The operation was the largest amphibious invasion in world history, with over 160,000 troops landing. Some 195,700 Allied naval and merchant navy personnel in over 5,000 ships were involved.
The operation was the largest amphibious invasion in world history, with over 160,000 troops landing. Some 195,700 Allied naval and merchant navy personnel in over 5,000 ships were involved.
The landings took place along a 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coast divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.
The assault was chaotic with boats arriving at the wrong point and others getting into difficulties in the water.
Troops managed only to gain a small foothold on the beach – but they built on their initial breakthrough in the coming days and a harbour was opened at Omaha.
They met strong resistance from the German forces who were stationed at strongpoints along the coastline.
Approximately 10,000 allies were injured or killed, inlcuding 6,603 American, of which 2,499 were fatal.
Between 4,000 and 9,000 German troops were killed – and it proved the pivotal moment of the war, in the allied forces’ favour.
The first wave of troops from the US Army takes cover under the fire of Nazi guns