Age Cymru Dyfed and the veterans of D-Day

Over the past 5 years, Age Cymru Dyfed has supported and collected the stories of several D-Day veterans. Sadly several some have passed on, but their stories can be found, seen and heard on Age Cymru Dyfed's West Wales Veterans Archive in the National Library of Wales. 

For example, Gordon Prime (1924-2023) and Ted Owens (1924-2023).

Pembrokeshire now has just one surviving veteran from the Normandy Invasion of 6^th June 1944, Tony Bird. On D-Day Tony was a Junior Midshipman aboard the Royal Navy Corvette ‘HMS Clematis’ which escorted the landing craft onto Sword Beach.

Now 100 years old, Tony distinctly recalls the ‘wizz’ of a German bullet flying past his ear and the bodies of many allied serviceman floating in the water, unable to pick them up as his small ship gave covering fire to the landing craft. 

In fact, Tony, Richard Pelzer from Swansea and Dr Norman Rose (1935-2024) from Brecon, spoke movingly about their experiences of D-Day at the Age Cymru Dyfed ‘Greatest Generation’ event held in Myddfai in October last year.  To see and hear these three D-Day veterans tell their stories click on this link: WW2 100yr old Veterans tell their stories - Part 1 (youtube.com)

D-Day and its significance to today’s younger generation: 

For those of you with children, grandchildren, even great grandchildren and you feel that it is important for them to learn about the sacrifices made 80 years ago on the Normandy beaches, you may wish to tune into the BBC CBBC channel on 6^th June at 6.30pm for a special BBC Newsround film made for children about D-Day.

This intergenerational focus is incredibly important as we come to the end of being able to obtain the living memories of those who served in WW2 and on D-Day. Hugh Morgan, the charity’s Veterans Coordinator has a personal connection to this film, for his own 11 year old granddaughter Lyra, from Aberystwyth, features in the film.

The BBC Newsround team took Lyra to London, Bristol and Normandy just a few weeks ago to make the programme.  Here’s the BBC link to the film  CBBC - Newsround Specials, D-Day - available on BBC iPlayer from 3^rd June.