PRESS RELEASE
27 OCTOBER 2014
D-Day Veterans and Young Servicemen Commemorate Together
On the Normandy Battlefield Tour
The Not Forgotten Association brought a group which included D-Day veterans and young injured servicemen
together for a battlefield tour to Normandy. Our beneficiaries came from a wide variety of regimental and corps
associations, including The Royal Hospital Chelsea, but shared a bond through their mutual respect, camaraderie
and experiences.
Standing on the very Normandy beaches where they had come ashore, the D-Day veterans recounted their stories
and recalled the friends they had lost. On Juno Beach a local Frenchman told us he witnessed the historic events
of 6th June 1944: he was thrilled to meet the veterans and there was much bonhomie all around. At Merville Battery
Chelsea Pensioner Fred Walker told of his experiences there serving with 3 Commando.
At Bayeux and Ranville Cemeteries services were taken by Revd George Parsons, himself a WW2 veteran, and
many of the group read poems in remembrance as part of their tribute to the men who fell. Wreaths were laid in
recognition of those who were wounded and continue to bear the scars of war.
Chief Executive of The Not Forgotten Association Colonel Piers Storie-Pugh led the tour and commented: “The
purpose of this tour was to enable a group of serving and ex-service men and women of all ages to honour those
wounded or killed during the Allied invasion of Normandy in this 70th anniversary year of the landings. The tour
proved to be a memorable experience for the group and hugely relevant to our core aim of organising a wide range
of activities which provide everything ‘From Comradeship to Challenge’.”
For more information on The Not Forgotten Association and images, visit http://www.nfassociation.org
-EndsFor more information, please contact:
Representation Plus
Alison Cryer
Email: alison@representationplus.co.uk
Tel: 020 8877 4504
www.representationplus.co.uk
The Not Forgotten Association
The “NOT FORGOTTEN” Association was founded in 1920 by American soprano Marta Cunningham with the
aim of providing ‘comfort, cheer and entertainment’ for wounded ex-servicemen still in hospital as a result of the
Great War. Over the last 94 years the Association has adapted to meet changing needs and extended its
activities to include those wounded in more recent conflicts. It continues to provide support to approximately
10,000 men and women each year.