Donald Trump today led world leaders including Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day in France and hailed the men who ‘won this ground for civilisation’.
More than 500 British and Americans veterans who stormed the Normandy coastline on June 6, 1944, have also travelled to northern France to remember their comrades who died there.
Today President Trump stood in the American Cemetery and Memorial above Ohama Beach, where 2,000 Americans lost their lives, and described it as ‘Freedom’s Altar’ during a poignant ceremony where he hugged US veterans and President Macron.
He said: ‘On these shores on this day 75 years ago, ten thousand men shed their blood – and thousands sacrificed their lives-for their brothers, for their countries, and for the survival of liberty’.
In an extraordinary moment President Trump stopped his speech to embrace veteran Russell Pickett, 94, who was a 19-year-old private during the landings at Omaha but had never returned to Normandy until today.
President Macron whispered in his ear and helped him to his feet as the leader of free world embraced him, returned to the podium and said ‘Russell Picket is the last known survivor of the legendary company A. Today, believe it or not, he has returned once more to these shores to be with his comrades. Private Picket, you honor us all with your presence.’
Around 15 miles away above Gold Beach, where British troops landed, Theresa May paid tribute to the heroes who ‘laid down their lives so that we might have a better life’, calling them ‘the greatest generation’.
The Prince of Wales is representing the Queen in France today and was at Bayeux Cathedral where he and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, joined the PM and 300 British D-Day veterans.
Afterwards hundreds of people lined the streets of Bayeux to clap them as they paraded to the nearby Commonwealth War Graves ceremony, with locals kissing them and shaking their hands as they passed.
And in Britain Prince William laid a wreath at the Normandy Campaign Memorial in Staffordshire, along with dignitaries and veterans, while Prince Harry attended an event with veterans at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London.
Today the world mourned its D-Day heroes on an emotional day in northern France that began with a ceremony at dawn where a lone piper played a lament at 6.36am – the exact moment British troops first charged across the sand towards their Nazi foes.
President Macron helps veteran Russell Pickett, 94, who was a 19-year-old private during the landings at Omaha but had never returned to Normandy until today
President Macron hugs another US veteran after handing him France’s Legion of Honour as Donald Trump applauds
President of France Macron and President Trump embraced during a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France – better known as Omaha Beach
The Trumps visited the graves of America’s D-Day heroes and laid flowers in their memory today having called Omaha Beach ‘Freedom’s Altar’
President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron watch a flypast of French jets passing over Omaha Beach
D-Day veteran John Quinn clutches the hand of George Sayer, 6, in Bayeaux, as young and old gathered to remember D-Day
In Britain, a visibly moved Prince William pauses as he speaks during a service at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire
After his speech the Duke Of Cambridge laid a wreath at the Normandy Campaign Memorial to those who died in the summer of 1944
The Duke of Sussex laughs as he talks to Chelsea Pensioners during a D-Day event at the Royal Hospital Chelsea today
President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron attend a commemoration ceremony for the 75th anniversary of D-Day at the American cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer in Normandy, above Omaha Beach
Donald Trump salutes to US veterans as he arrived at Omaha Beach alongside Emmanuel Macron of France as world leaders gathered in Normandy today
President Trump greets Brigitte Macron during the commemoration ceremony for the 75th anniversary of D-Day at the American cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer
The President’s wife Brigitte Macron accompanied First Lady Melania Trump on the red carpet through a guard of honour made up of French and American servicemen and women
In Bayeux Britain’s Secretary of State for Defence, Penny Mourdaunt (far left) Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May attended a memorial service at the city’s cemetery
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wipes a tear as he delivers a speech during the international ceremony on Juno Beach in Courseulles-sur-Mer, where his countrymen helped the invasion of Europe
Mrs May grips the hand of a veteran after her speech where she thanked the hundreds of thousands of people who fought in France on June 6, 1944
US veteran Jack Gutman, who was 18-years-old when he landed on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, wipes away tears during a ceremony at the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, north-western France this morning
David Woodrow,95, a member of the 652 Squadron AOP, landed on Gold Beach 75 years ago today and was there to see a new Normandy Memorial Trust monument to British soldiers unveiled
A spectator shakes the hand of a British veteran who is part of a procession leaving the Bayeux Cathedral
A British WWII D-Day veteran salutes a serving Army Officer as he clutches a wreath he will lay at the Commonwealth War Cemetery today
Veteran Ron Nolan is kissed by a French well-wisher in Arromanches, France, as her President, Emmanuel Macron, thanked the men who freed their nation from Hitler’s grip
At the Britain’s National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire a serviceman sobs on the shoulder of a loved-one in front of the monument listing all members of the armed forces killed since the end of Second World War
President Trump and Mrs May joined President Macron and Canadian Prime Minister at the five D-Day beaches: Gold, Utah, Omaha, Juno and Sword and met veterans who fought for freedom.
The Prince of Wales is representing the Queen in France today and his first engagement was at Bayeux Cathedral where he and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, joined the PM and 300 British D-Day veterans for a service of remembrance.
Afterwards hundreds of people lined the streets of Bayeux to clap them as they paraded to the nearby Commonwealth War Graves ceremony, with locals kissing them and shaking their hands as they passed.
From dawn on June 6 1944 – known as the Longest Day – 156,000 troops left landing craft and raced on to the sand along the Normandy coast to smash Hitler’s Nazis – supported by 250,000 more men at sea or in the air.
These brave men, from all corners of the world, gained a foothold in France that turned the Second World War and would lead to the liberation of Europe within a year.
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania gathered with French president Emmanuel Macron for the US commemorations at Omaha Beach in Colleville-sur-Mer, where Mr Trump told veterans: ‘Our debt to you is everlasting’.
‘Today we express our undying gratitude. When you were young – these men enlisted their lives in a great crusade – one of the greatest of all times,’ he said.
‘Their mission is the story of an epic battle and the ferocious eternal struggle between good and evil.’
President Trump took off from Shannon in Ireland after tweeting: ‘They did not know if they would survive the hour. They did not know if they would grow old. But they knew that America had to prevail. Their cause was this Nation, and generations yet unborn’. He wrote as he prepared to leave his Irish hotel for France: ‘A big and beautiful day today!’
Mrs May was accompanied to Bayeux by her husband Philip on her last day as Tory leader, and Prince Charles was with his wife Camilla, (together right)
Theresa May curtseys for the Prince of Wales outside Bayeux Cathedral in Normandy today as world leaders and royalty gathered to remember those who fought for freedom on D-Day
Sunlight shines above the altar of Bayeux Cathedral where the Pope sent a message paying tribute to those who ‘joined the Army and gave their lives for freedom and peace’
British veteran Tony Cash stands proudly in the Normandy Sunshine today – 75 years after he landed in Frances with 156,000 others from around the world
A former serviceman who fought on D-Day is supported by a loved-one as he walked over the cobbles in Bayeux today
Before heading to Bayeux Mrs May spoke with veterans at the inauguration of the British Normandy Memorial above Gold Beach today
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (4L) and Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn attended the Service of Remembrance at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Bayeux
A man in Second World War uniform looks over the beach at Arromanches – better known as Gold Beach – which was a scene of bloodshed and battle 75 years ago today
Theresa May’s D-Day speech in full
Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech at Ver-Sur-Mer in France today
Here is the text of the speech delivered by Prime Minister Theresa May alongside French President Emmanuel Macron at the inauguration of the British Normandy Memorial.
She said: ‘Thank you President Macron for your support to ensure a lasting monument to the service and sacrifice of those who fought in the Battle of Normandy – something which means so much to our veteran community and to the whole of the British nation.
‘It is incredibly moving to be here today, looking out across beaches where one of the greatest battles for freedom this world has ever known took place – and it is truly humbling to do so with the men who were there that day.
‘It is an honour for all of us to share this moment with you.
‘Standing here, as the waves wash quietly onto the shore, it’s almost impossible to grasp the raw courage that it must have taken that day to leap out from landing craft and into the surf – despite the fury of battle.
‘No one could be certain what June 6 would bring. No one would know how this – the most ambitious – amphibious and airborne assault in all of human history, would turn out.
‘And, as the sun rose that morning, not one of the troops on the landing craft approaching these shores, not one of the pilots in the skies above, not one of the sailors at sea – knew whether they would still be alive when it set once again.
‘If one day can be said to have determined the fate of generations to come – in France, in Britain, in Europe and the world – that day was June 6, 1944.
‘More than 156,000 men landed on D-Day – of which 83,000 were from Britain and the Commonwealth.
‘Over a quarter million more supported operations from air and sea – while the French Resistance carried out extraordinary acts of bravery behind enemy lines. Many were terribly wounded.
‘And many more made the ultimate sacrifice that day and in the fierce fighting that followed, as together our allied nations sought to release Europe from the grip of fascism.
‘Men like Lieutenant Den Brotheridge of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Twenty-eight years old. Husband. Father-to-be. Thought to be the first Allied soldier to be killed in action after leading the charge over Pegasus Bridge.
‘Marine Commando Robert Casson of 46 Royal Marine Commando, who was killed on the approach to Juno Beach, three weeks before his brother Private Joseph Casson was also killed in Normandy.
‘And twins Robert and Charles Guy, 21, who both served in the RAF and were shot down and buried separately. Their names will now be reunited here.
‘These young men belonged to a very special generation, the greatest generation.
‘A generation whose unconquerable spirit shaped the post-war world. They didn’t boast. They didn’t fuss. They served.
‘And they laid down their lives so that we might have a better life and build a better world.
‘The memorial that will be built here will remind us of this. Of the service and sacrifice of those who fell under British Command in Normandy, of the price paid by French civilians – and of our duty, and our responsibility, to now carry the torch for freedom, for peace and for democracy.
‘I want to thank all those involved in this memorial. George Batts and the veterans who have campaigned so hard to make it happen. The people of Ver-sur-Mer, and Phillipe Onillon the town’s mayor.
‘Here in Normandy, the names of those British men and women who gave their lives in defence of freedom, will forever sit opposite their homeland across the Channel.
‘Here in Normandy, we will always remember their courage, their commitment, their conviction.
‘And to our veterans, here in Normandy, I want to say the only words we can: thank you.’
This afternoon dignitaries and veterans laid commemorative wreaths at the Cross of Sacrifice at the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery in Bayeux, alongside men who served in the Normandy campaign.
The Prince of Wales and Prime Minister took part as the band of the Bugles and Rifles played.
Veteran Frank Baugh, 95, told a service at Bayeux Cemetery how he was a signalman on a landing craft that took 200 troops from 2nd Battalion King’s Shropshire Light Infantry from Newhaven to Sword beach.
He described how the troops landed in about 4ft of rough water under ‘heavy machine gun fire’ at 7.25am.
The landing craft was hit and the number 2 troop space caught fire, leaving some badly injured and having to stay on the ship, but those who had been lightly injured followed their comrades, he said.
‘They wanted to go with their partners and that’s what happened,’ Mr Baugh said.
‘My most abiding memory of that day is seeing our boys we had been talking to the minute before.
‘They got cut down with machine gun fire. They would fall into the water, floating face down and we couldn’t get them out.
‘We couldn’t help them. That is my most abiding memory and I can’t forget it.’
Prime Minister Theresa May, the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt and First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon were among those attending the service.
After sunrise at Gold Beach, Theresa May and President Macron attended the inauguration of a new monument listing the names of all 22,442 members of the British armed forces who died in the campaign in northern France over the summer of 1944.
The centrepiece of the new memorial is a bronze sculpture of three British soldiers charging up the beach, and it has been funded by the Normandy Memorial Trust and thousands of Daily Mail readers.
Speaking at the inauguration service, the Prime Minister paid tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, saying: ‘They laid down their lives so that we might have a better life and build a better world. These young men belonged to a very special generation, the greatest generation. They didn’t boast. They didn’t fuss. They served’.
Mrs May paid tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of the ‘greatest generation’ of service personnel who served during the landings.
‘If one day can be said to have determined the fate of generations to come, in France, in Britain, in Europe and in the world, that day was the 6 June 1944,’ she said.
‘More than 156,000 men landed on D-Day, of which 83,000 were from Britain and the Commonwealth.
‘Over a quarter of a million more supported operations from air and sea, while the French Resistance carried out extraordinary acts of bravery from behind enemy lines.
‘Many were terribly wounded, and many made the ultimate sacrifice that day, and in the fierce sacrifice that followed, as together our Allied nations sought to release Europe from the grip of fascism.’
The Prime Minister read the names of several British troops who were killed during the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy.
At a commemoration service at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, the Duke of Cambridge delivered the D-Day address made by his great-grandfather King George VI in 1944.
He said: ‘Four years ago our nation and empire stood alone against an overwhelming enemy, with our backs to the wall.
‘Now once more a supreme test has to be faced. This time the challenge is not to fight to survive but to fight to win the final victory for the good cause.
‘At this historic moment surely not one of us is too busy, too young, or too old to play a part in a nationwide, perchance a world-wide vigil of prayer as the great crusade sets forth.’
His brother Prince Harry was at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London to review the Chelsea pensioners at the annual Founder’s Day Parade.
The parade commemorates King Charles II’s founding of the institution in 1681.
Founder’s Day is also known as Oak Apple Day referring to the oak tree that Charles hid in to avoid being captured by Parliamentary forces after the Battle of Worcester in 1651.
Harry, a former Army officer, arrived wearing his Blues and Royals frock coat and like all the pensioners and guests wore a sprig of oak leaves in honour of Charles.
The French and American presidents, and their wives, watch the magnificent flypast over Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery where 2,000 Americans are buried
The VIPs also waved and posed for photos by the graves of the men who lost their lives on D-Day and the following dats
Mr Trump and his First Lady stand to attention on the fourth day of their visit to Europe – having spent three days in the UK
Mr Trump stood alongside American D-Day survivors and their families, who were visibly moved by the ceremony in Northern France
Mr Trump smiled and chatted to his countrymen as he signed items for them ahead of today’s D-Day 75 commemorations
French President Macron waves to crowds alongside President Trump and his wife Brigitte in front of seated veterans and their relatives
Mr Trump stood as he listened to the French and American national anthems followed by an armed forces parade
The President smiled as he was introduced and was given an ovation by the crows at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron clap Mr Trump and his wife Melania
A veteran looks at America’s commander-in-chief during a moving D-Day memorial service in northern France today
Donald Trump toucheds the camp of an American WW2 veteran who fought in France and in the battles that saw Europe liberated a year later
Emmanuel Macron shakes the hands of former soldiers and Donald Trump pats another on the shoulder in Colleville-sur-Mer today
Brigitte Macron and First Lady Melania Trump looked sombre as they waled along the carpet followed by their husbands
In the UK Prince William, third in line to the throne, led the commemorative service at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire,
William’s brother Harry saluted in the rain as the Royal Hospital Chelsea remembered those who fought and fell 75 years ago today
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, reviews the Chelsea Pensioners in the rain at the annual Founder’s Day Parade at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, in London
Chelsea Pensioners wait to meet the Duke of Sussex, who was there without his wife Meghan, who is caring for their baby Archie at home
Trump’s tribute to the men who ‘saved civilisation’
This is President Trump’s speech to veterans gathered at Omaha Beach today.
He said ‘We are gathered here on Freedom’s Altar. On these shores, on these bluffs, on this day 75 years ago, ten thousand men shed their blood-and thousands sacrificed their lives-for their brothers, for their countries, and for the survival of liberty.
‘Today, we remember those who fell here, and we honor all who fought here. They won back this ground for civilization.
‘The enemy who occupied these heights saw the largest naval armada in history on the horizon. Just a few miles offshore were 7,000 vessels bearing 130,000 warriors. They were the citizens of free and independent nations, united by their duty to their compatriots and to millions yet unborn.
‘To all of our friends and partners – our cherished alliance was forged in the heat of battle, tested in the trials of war, and proven in the blessings of peace. Our bond is unbreakable.
‘The exceptional MIGHT came from an exceptional SPIRIT. The abundance of courage came from an abundance of faith. The great deeds of our Army came from the great depths of their love.
Members of the public in Arromanches, Gold Beach, queued up to thank D-Day veterans for their service during the Second World War.
Sid Barnes, 93, from Norfolk, served in the Royal Army Service Corps and landed on beach by Arromanches on June 6.
He returns every year to the town and attends commemoration events.
This year visitors were coming up to him to shake his hand, with one man saying: ‘Without you and everything you and the other veterans did, we would not be here.’
Mr Barnes said: ‘People are coming up to us to say thank you. But I think ‘thank you for what?’
‘We just did what we knew we must do. It is nice to know we are valued though.’
He was enjoying the sunshine on the promenade with other veterans including Charles Burton, 94, who came over to Normandy as part of a wave of troops on the second day June 7 with the Royal Ulster Rifles.
Mr Burton said: ‘It’s nice to take part to be here but it’s very difficult as you remember the others who died.’
Mrs May then travelled to Bayeux Cathedral to join up with Prince Charles for a memorial service.
At the start of the service, a message on behalf of Pope Francis was read by Cardinal Marc Ouellet.
He said D-Day was ‘decisive in the fight against Nazi barbarism’ and paid tribute to those who ‘joined the Army and gave their lives for freedom and peace’.
D-Day veteran Kenneth Hay read from the poem Normandy, by Cyril Crain, who also took part in the Allied invasion.
Mr Hay’s reading began: ‘Come and stand in memory of men who fought and died.
‘They gave their lives in Normandy, remember them with pride.’
Crain landed at Juno Beach in June 1944, four days before his 21st birthday. He died in 2014, aged 91.
Bagpipers lead a procession of British World War II veterans to the Bayeux War Cemetery after a cathedral service
The Prince of Wales and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, leave Bayeux Cathedral followed by Theresa May as the couple represent the Queen in France today
Alan Litchfield, who was a Royal Marine coxswain on a landing craft during D-Day, inspects the graves of his comrades at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery, in Bayeux, France
D-Day veteran Tony Cash (L) walks with friends ahead of a service of remembrance at Bayeux Cathedral
Outgoing Tory leader Theresa May represented the Government in France and was supported by her Secretary of State for Defence, Penny Mourdaunt
Bishop Jean-Claude Boulanger looks on as veterans lower the Union Flag as they pay their respect to those who lost their lives in 1944
Around 300 British veterans who fought and survived D-Day were at the Service of Remembrance having been taken to France on a cruise ship chartered by the Royal British Legion
Two sombre British veterans are pushed in wheelchairs by serving members of the Armed Forces as they gathered to commemorate The Longest Day
WW2 re-enactors talk to D-Day veterans and ask about their experiences as they gather in Arromanches, Normandy
The silhouette of a soldier holding the British flag on the beach of Arromanches, better known as Gold Beach, where commemorations began today
Guests attend a French/US ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, above Omaha Beach
The MV Boudicca cruise ship was chartered by the Royal British Legion to carry the 300 British D-Day veterans who landed in France 74 years ago today. The vessel was flanked and followed by Royal Navy ships as it crossed the Channel
Dignitaries will laid memorial wreaths and the last post will be played at the site where more than 4,000 war dead are buried.
Nearby, in the town of Arromanches, around 300 veterans have gathered to commemorate their fallen comrades.
The Prince of Wales wore a number of military medals at the D-Day commemorative service.
They include: the Queen’s Service Order, New Zealand, the Canadian Forces decoration, the New Zealand commemorative medal, the long service good conduct medal, and medals marking the Queen’s coronation and jubilees.
The Duchess of Cornwall wore a pale gold coat dress by Dior, a hat by Philip Treacy and her 4th Rifles bugle brooch.
Donald Trump and First Lady Melania land in Normandy and headed for Omaha Beach where tens of thousands of Americans landed 75 years ago today
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump make their way to board Air Force One at Shannon Airport in Ireland as they head for Normandy
Mr Trump shared this moving message as he headed to France to remember The Longest Day – D-Day
The Prince of Wales greets Prime Minister Theresa May as he arrives for the Royal British Legion Service of Remembrance
Prime Minister Theresa May paid tribute to the thousands who made the ultimate sacrifice and died in the fight to free Europe from Hitler’s tyranny
Crowds gather on Gold beach this morning to listen to Lone Piper, Pipe Major Trevor Macey-Lillie of the 19th regiment, Royal Artillery, who saluted to those who gathered to remember the brave soldiers who landed there 75 years ago today
Mrs May glances at veterans who gathered to remember their comrades who laid down their lives on the beaches of Normandy
A moved Theresa May is comforted by Emmanuel Macron at a ceremony above Gold beach, where the first British troops arrived to fight to free Europe in 1944
The two world leaders stare out on to Gold Beach – which 75 years ago today would have been at the centre of one of the most violent battles the world had ever known
A new memorial, which overlooks Gold Beach, records the names of more than 20,000 British servicemen who died in the D-Day landings and Battle of Normandy. It depicts three soldiers advancing across the beach
US veteran Kirt Robbins pays his respects at dawn on the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day landings at the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, above Omaha Beach
Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron greeted one another warmly and Mr Macron said he was honoured to stand side-by-side with the British
President Macron and Prime Minister May stand in the shadow of the Union Flag that was raised at 6.26am – the minute British troops arrived
Veterans and their families arrive at Bayeux Cathedral, France, for the Royal British Legion Service of Remembrance
Soldiers from The Rifles and the Army Air Corps also gathered at the iconic World War II site of Pegasus Bridge to commemorate the actions of their predecessors, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and Glider Pilot Regiment, 75 years ago
Military vehicles line the beach at Arromanches in Normandy, northern France, ahead of a day of events to mark the 75 anniversary of D-Day
The Union Flag flies outside the Cathedral of Bayeux in Normandy today – 75 years to the day that the Allies launched the greatest invasion in history
Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron laid wreaths at the foundation stone of the new British monument above Gold Beach.
Seven British D-Day veterans were accompanied by four children, including Sir Winston Churchill’s great-great grandson John Churchill, to lay flowers in front of a sculpture at the memorial depicting three British soldiers storming the beaches.
It was created by David Williams-Ellis to mark the beginning of construction for the memorial, which is expected to be completed within a year.
The ceremony concluded with a piped lament from Trooper Kurtis Rankin of The Royal Dragoon Guards.
Mrs May and President Macron then spoke to the veterans.
British D-Day memorial to 22,442 who died in Normandy is unveiled at poignant ceremony
Normandy veterans today paid an emotional tribute to their fallen comrades at a new memorial unveiled on the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
The veterans were joined by Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron at Ver-sur-Mer in France for the unveiling of the monument.
Mr Macron and Mrs May lay a wreath of flowers during a ceremony to lay the first stone at Ver-sur-Mer in France today
Mrs May has paid tribute to those who raised funds for the British Normandy Memorial which she said will ensure ‘the legacy of those who died lives on’.
Thousands of Daily Mail readers donated money towards the monument which overlooks Gold Beach, where British troops stormed ashore on June 6, 1944.
The spectacular memorial lists the names of all 22,442 members of the fallen British servicemen and women who died in the Normandy campaign that year.
Patrick Moore from Kent, a veteran of the Royal Engineers, stands next to the new British Normandy Memorial today
Mrs May and Mr Macron laid wreaths at the foundation stone of the monument, while seven British D-Day veterans were accompanied by four children to lay flowers.
Sir Winston Churchill’s great-great grandson John Churchill was among those looking at the sculpture depicting three British soldiers storming the beaches.
The bronze sculpture was created by David Williams-Ellis to mark the beginning of construction for the memorial, which is expected to be completed within a year.
Standing 9ft tall and weighing several tons, the three figures are not based on any individuals and deliberately carry no legible regimental markings or insignia.
The ceremony concluded with a piped lament from Trooper Kurtis Rankin of The Royal Dragoon Guards. Mrs May and Mr Macron then spoke to the veterans.
Mrs May paid tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, saying: ‘They laid down their lives so that we might have a better life and build a better world.’
Veterans and their families will gather for a service of remembrance at Bayeux Cathedral.
They will be joined by Prime Minister Theresa May, and the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall for the commemoration marking 75 years since D-Day.
At Gold this morning at 6.26am (UK time) Pipe Major Trevor Macey-Lillie, of 19th Regiment Royal Artillery (The Scottish Gunners), performed Highland Laddie on Port Winston – the remains of one of the temporary Mulberry harbour constructed for the Allied landings. British troops launched themselves on to Sword beach at 6.30am.
Americans were the first to launch the D-Day assault with simultaneous attacks at Utah and Omaha beaches at 5.30am, while the Canadians landed at Juno at 6.35am.
It begins another day of commemorations, which will see veterans descending on the town square of Arromanches as part of a parade that will be followed by a Red Arrows flypast and a firework display.
Across the Channel, a service of remembrance and wreath laying takes place at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire.
Theresa May was at the inauguration ceremony in France on the 75th anniversary of D-Day in what will be one of her final official engagements as Conservative leader.
She said: ‘It’s incredibly moving to be here today, looking out over the beaches where one of the greatest battles for freedom this world has ever known took place.
‘And it is truly humbling to do so with the men who were there that day. It’s an honour for all of us to share this moment with you.’
The Prime Minister was joined by French President Emmanuel Macron at Ver-Sur-Mer in Normandy at a ceremony marking the creation of the British Normandy Memorial.
Addressing the audience, President Macron said: ‘I am honoured to stand alongside Theresa May today to launch construction work for the British memorial at Ver-sur-Mer.
‘The British people have long dreamt of this memorial.’
He added: ‘This is where, 75 years ago, on June 6, 1944, almost 25,000 British soldiers landed in France to free the country from Nazi control.
‘This is where young men, many of whom had never set foot on French soil, landed at dawn under German fire, risking their lives while fighting their way up the beach, which was littered with obstacles and mines.’
He added: ‘It is time to remedy the fact that no memorial pays tribute to the United Kingdom’s contribution to the Battle of Normandy.’
He said the monument would also be a symbol of the ties binding France and the UK.
He said: ‘Nothing will break them. Nothing can ever break ties that have been bound in bloodshed and shared values.
‘The debates taking place today cannot affect the strength of our joint history and our shared future.’
President Macron assured Mrs May of his friendship, adding: ‘Leaders may come and go but their achievements remain.
‘The force of our friendship will outlast current events.’
Pipe Major Trevor Macey-Lillie, of 19th Regiment Royal Artillery (The Scottish Gunners), performed at early morning rendition of Highland Laddie on Port Winston – the remains of one of the temporary Mulberry harbour constructed for the landings
The tribute began at 6.26am today – the exact moment the first British boots touched the beach to confront the German defenders
A new British memorial has been unveiled at a a Franco-British ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day landings Ver-Sur-Mer, Normandy, overlooking Gold beach
May and Macron walk in the Normandy sunshine – 75 years ago the brave D-Day soldiers fought their way into France in much poorer conditions
Theresa May arrives in Ver-sur-Mer, overlooking Gold Beach, where the first British attack came 75 years ago today
Chaplain General Clinton Langston opened the ceremony giving thanks to those who served in the campaign from June 5 to August 31 1944.
He said: ‘It is only right and proper that their sacrifice and service is acknowledged and commemorated here as we gather to inaugurate the site of this British Normandy Memorial.’
Normandy veteran and patron of The Normandy Trust George Batts told the crowd: ‘They were the soldiers of democracy.
‘They were the men of D-Day and to them we owe our freedom.’
In Portsmouth, following President Donald Trump’s visit yesterday, a veteran’s parade will take place before a memorial service at the city’s D-Day Stone.
And in London, the Duke of Sussex will attend Founder’s Day at the Royal Hospital Chelsea where he will see the Chelsea Pensioners and six veterans from the Normandy Landings.
Paratroopers aged in their 90s jumped from Dakota war planes over Normandy yesterday afternoon as they re-enacted the bravery of soldiers who were central to the decisive landings.
About 280 took part in the jump over the French coast yesterday, including veterans of landings in World War II. Harry Read, 95, was pictured leaping from the skies and landing in Sannerville in front of crowds of admirers.
Aircraft were pictured taking to the skies in Cambridgeshire, at the Imperial War Museum, before heading to France to commemorate those who died in the fighting on June 6 1944.
Their display brought to life the daring efforts of Allied troops, who secured the first step on the road to defeating the Nazis with the offensive.
Tearful veterans gathered in Portsmouth, Duxford and Normandy as Queen Elizabeth II and US President Donald Trump hailed the bravery of those on the front line.
British paratroopers jumped after American veterans did the same earlier yesterday, with one making the leap aged 97. Ex 82nd Airborne paratrooper Tom Rice, from San Diego, California, was among some 200 parachutists who filled the Normandy skies of France for the 75th anniversary of the invasion as they leapt from vintage C-47 Dakota planes in what was a moving sight.
Mr Rice jumped in a tandem into roughly the same area he landed in on D-Day near Carentan, a town among the main targets for the paratroopers. He said: ‘It went perfect, perfect jump. I feel great. I’d go up and do it all again.’
This morning’s tribute begins another day of commemorations, which will see veterans descending on the town square of Arromanches as part of a parade that will be followed by a Red Arrows flypast and a firework display
Reenactors dressed in military uniform carry a Union flag at dawn on the beach at Arromanches in Normandy to watch the piper this morning
Arromanches – where these reenactors are pictured this morning – will be a focal point for continuing D-Day commemorations today
French WWII enthousiast Damien Tracou with a rifle on the shoulders, looks the sun rises today on Utah Beach in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, northwestern France
Pipe Major Trevor Macey-Lillie walking along Gold Beach towards Port Winston five minutes before this morning’s moving tribute
The commemorations yesterday: Veterans leap from planes over Normandy as they recreate the D-Day landings 75 years after they were carried out
The original leap from the skies over Normandy as part of Operation Overlord, which was the first step on road to victory for the Allies in World War II
Hundreds of paratroopers drop from the sky over France as veterans parachuted onto the Normandy coast to commemorate the D-Day landings
Harry Read lands in Sannerville, France, as crowds gather to watch today’s moving commemoration of the decisive D-Day landings in Normandy yesterday
Yesterday, the only surviving member of the unit behind the daring Pegasus Bridge operation which paved the way for the D-Day landings yesterday paid an emotional tribute to his fallen comrades.
Reg Charles, 96, is the last surviving member of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry which helped to secure two key bridges in Normandy, just hours before the Allied beach assault on June 6, 1944.
Some 18 men died in the raid codenamed Operation Deadstick, which aimed to land six Horsa gliders near two small bridges over the River Orne and Caen Canal in northern France, capturing them from the Germans.
Mr Charles, who lives in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, arrived a few days after the glider invasion itself, but is the last surviving member of the unit. Today, he proudly saluted during a ceremony at the Pegasus Bridge Museum.
British D-Day veteran Reg Charles, 96, salutes during a memorial ceremony at the Pegasus Bridge Museum in Caen yesterday, He is the last surviving member of the glider assault unit
The last surviving officer to have actually served in the operation – which has been hailed as ‘the single most important ten minutes of the war’ – was Colonel David Wood, who died in 2009 aged 85.
Other veterans yesterday spoke of their pride at attending the D-Day 75th anniversary event in Portsmouth along with world leaders, describing it as an emotional chance to remember their comrades who did not return.
The 300 veterans were joined by more than 4,000 personnel involved in D-Day events in the UK and France yesterday in what is one of the biggest mobilisations of the UK Armed Forces in recent history.
The memorial in Portsmouth featured an hour-long production telling the story of the invasion and a spectacular flypast by RAF warplanes past and present, including a display by the Red Arrows and Spitfires.
Other events included a ceremony at Pegasus Bridge in France – the scene of a 15-minute skirmish to take hold of the pathways over the Caen Canal and River Orne, and one of the first places British troops liberated on D-Day.
This was attended by D-Day veterans including Reg Charles, 96, the last surviving member of a heroic glider assault on the bridge.
The event also saw four veterans receive the Legion d’Honneur – radio operator Marie Scott, 92, RAF flight lieutenant Donald Mason, 98, Alfred Nutbein, 93, and Len Trewin, of 8th Battalion, Parachute Regiment.
Yesterday, veterans Harry Read, 95, and John Hutton, 94, will parachute into Normandy in honour of comrades they lost when they first made the descent 75 years ago onto fields at Sannerville.
They will follow US Second World War paratrooper veteran Tom Rice, 97, who served with the 101st Airbone, who landed safely yesterday following a commemorative parachute jump over Carentan on the Normandy coast.
Veterans who survived D-Day were guests of honour at today’s commemorations in Portsmouth attended by world leaders
A veteran of the 6th Airborne Division puts his head in his hands during a ceremony at Pegasus Bridge in France yesterday
The Portsmouth memorial yesterday featured a flypast by RAF warplanes past and present, including a display by the Red Arrows
The Red Arrows flypast takes place, watched by attendees of the 75th anniversary of D-Day in Portsmouth yesterday
The Red Arrows fly over Portsmouth in 9 Arrow Formation in Portsmouth yesterday. This photo was taken from Red 8’s aircraft
In Portsmouth, Sergeant John Jenkins, 99, did a reading at the National Commemorative Event attended by the Queen, US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Theresa May and leaders of other involved nations.
The veteran received a standing ovation from the President and the Queen as he led tributes. Mr Jenkins, who is from Portsmouth, was serving with the Pioneer Corps on D-Day and landed on Gold Beach on June 8 in 1944.
He said: ‘Obviously I will think of all my mates that didn’t come back. I can’t say any particular one because we were all comrades together, that was the thing. We were all comrades together and that’s what carries us through.
‘The comradeship was really something quite marvellous.’ Mr Jenkins said he felt ‘overwhelmed’ to be at the service and to be chosen to do a reading. ‘It is something that will last in my memory for a long time,’ he said.
D-Day veteran John Jenkins (pictured above) on stage at the commemorations at Southsea Common in Portsmouth yesterday
He added: ‘I was terrified. I think everyone was – you don’t show it, but it’s there. I look back on it as a big part of my life, it changed me in a way – but I was just a small part in a very big machine.
‘You never forget your comrades because we were all in there together. It’s right that the courage and sacrifice of so many veterans is being honoured 75 years on.
‘We must never forget – thank you.’ His words moved many other veterans and attendees to tears during the service.’
After the war Mr Jenkins worked as a bus driver then as a crane operator at the Portsmouth naval base.
Proud of his country and being a dedicated to his service, he went on to serve in the Territorial Army for many years, rising to the rank of Company Sergeant Major.
He is a lifelong Portsmouth fan and recently said that one message he would give to the generation of tomorrow is for there to be ‘no more wars’.
D-Day veteran, 95, who arrived first on Sword Beach after his landing craft took a direct hit is reunited with a white ensign 75 years later
Signalman Frank Baugh is reunited with the white ensign which was hoisted on Queen Red Sector of Sword Beach in June 1994
A 95-year-old war veteran who landed on Sword Beach 75 years ago was yesterday reunited with a white ensign that had been hoisted to establish a beachhead.
Signalman Frank Baugh landed on the Queen Red sector in Normandy during the Second World War as part of the D-Day invasions at 7.25am on June 6, 1944.
He was serving with the Royal Navy on landing craft LCI(L)380, part of Flotilla 253 which carried members of the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, 2nd Batallion.
They were the first craft to land on the sector and took a direct hit from Nazi fire on their approach – but by 8am, the flag had been hoisted on the sand.
Mr Baugh, who now lives in Doncaster, told the Yorkshire Post this week of his arrival at Sword Beach: ‘We found it empty. We were the first landing craft on that section of that beach and that’s not a good place to be in the front.’
The veteran did not return to Normandy for 65 years after the invasion, saying: ‘On D-Day, I never expected living the next hour, never mind to 95.’
He added: ‘The beach was littered with lads who had been killed. It’s an awful feeling. You’re frightened. But you do your job. You have to do it and you don’t want to let your pals down.’
Arthur Hampson, 93, from Merseyside, was a midshipman with the Royal Navy on D-Day, landing on Juno Beach. ‘As the ramp went down, there was quite a lot of fire coming at us from the shore,’ he said.
‘We could see the red flashes coming from houses that the Germans were in on the waterfront. We were popping at the window where we could see that the enemy was shooting at us.’
He described the service as a ‘great experience’ but said he did not regard himself as a hero.
Mr Hampson said that after D-Day, he returned to Portsmouth. ‘I was having a quiet pint in a pub in Southsea,’ he said.
‘The past 24 hours seemed unreal. We were talking to people in the pub and I think they didn’t believe a word we were saying.’
Les Hammond, 94, from Northampton, a craftsman in the 86 Anti-tank Regiment, who was 19 when he landed on Juno Beach, said: ‘It’s quite emotional I suppose, I didn’t think I would feel like this but I do.
‘I am very much a royalist and I am proud of my country. I intend to live a few more years and have nice memories of today.’
Alfred Fuzzard, 97, from Bexhill-On-Sea, East Sussex, a former petty officer in the Royal Navy who grew up in Portsmouth and who landed on Sword Beach, said: ‘I wouldn’t have missed D-Day for the world.
‘The weather was a bit rough when we went over but it calmed down when we got close to the beach.
‘I think it’s lovely, I am a fan of Trump actually, I would like to see him as prime minister of this country, shake the bunkers up.
‘Trump has been good for his people but the trouble is that before he opens his mouth, he should think. I would like to meet him because I will ask him if he’s immigrating.
‘I don’t know what lessons you can learn, it’s up to politicians, they drag us into wars don’t they.
‘We belong to a great nation and the finest fighting people in the world I think. I have seen some very brave men and it’s been wonderful here to meet all these old people and what they gave.
‘In an operation you only see your part, you don’t see what is going on around you whereas here you can hear other people’s stories and it’s been bloody marvellous.’
The elite bands of brothers who were the first troops into Normandy on D-Day
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.
Destruction in the northern French town of Carentan after the invasion in June 1944
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 in 1944