'Emotional' day for new Coventry soldiers supporting D-Day veterans in France

Coventry soldiers showed their unwavering support for war veterans when they attended the D-Day 80 commemorations in Northern France. Soldiers from 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (1RRF), gathered with veterans, royalty and world leaders to take part in the D-Day 80 commemorations in Northern France.

The Fusiliers represented the Army in the tri-service guard of honour at the UK’s national commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-Sur-Me and at a moving candle-lit vigil at the Bayeux War Cemetery. Bayeux was the first city to be liberated by the British on the 7th June. The City’s Cemetery is the largest Commonwealth cemetery of the Second World War in France and contains four thousand one hundred and forty allied graves.

Major Stuart Gilbert, Officer Commanding X Company 1RRF said: "One of our previous regiments, the Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers fought in Normandy, they were part of the D-day landings and once ashore, continued the fight against the Germans through Caen. You can see the battle honours on our colours, and we still recruit from those areas today; ( Coventry, Nuneaton, Warwick ). So, it is great to be representing them on this parade as well.”

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The Fusiliers were formed in 1674 and named “Fuzileers” after their Fusil, the modern musket of the day. The modern regiment was formed in 1968 with the amalgamation of the four English Fusilier Regiments: The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, The Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers, The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) and the Lancashire Fusiliers.

Coventry soldier Sergeant Joe Lowery escorted a veteran who laid a wreath at the Bayeux War Cemetery in memory of all the fallen. Sergeant Lowery said: “We are super proud to be a part of these commemorations. Just to be here and to be able to take in everything is incredible. The Fusiliers had a huge part to play in D-Day and it only seems right that we are in Normandy on this day and do our predecessors proud by being part of the ceremony.”

Sergeant Lowery and some of his fellow Fusiliers were part of the King’s Coronation, so have first-hand knowledge of the intense preparation that goes into events like this. 1RRF also recently returned from Italy where they took part in commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery Cassino.

Sergeant Lowery continued: “That experience helped with our focus for this event. Some of the new Fusiliers had not been involved with something like this before and did not understand the magnitude and what it means. But when you get here, it is quite breathtaking. It has been quite emotional for us all. To see the veterans and hear them give their account of what it was like during D-Day itself back in the 1940s. it is something that will stay with us forever.”