Charity Helps 100-Year-Old D-Day Veteran Pay Tribute To Fallen Comrades

A charity has helped a 100-year-old veteran commemorate D-Day after his trip to Normandy was cancelled over the coronavirus pandemic.

Ted Hunt, a former Royal Engineer, each year visits Normandy to honour his fallen comrades.

But with the pandemic cancelling this year's trip, Mr Hunt wanted to make sure he still marked the historic events of 76 years ago.

With the help of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, Mr Hunt was taken from his home on the south coast to Worthing War Memorial.

Travelling in a disinfected London taxi, alongside a motorcycle escort, Mr Hunt was able to pay his respects alongside military veterans from multiple generations.

He told Forces News he was "overcome" when leaving his house, adding: “The Taxi Charity [for Military Veterans] were determined to surprise me and they have."

Mike Hughes, a volunteer at the charity who helped organise the day, said: "Due to the lockdown, Ted, first of all, missed his 100th birthday on the 23rd of March, then he missed VE Day.

“I know he wanted to commemorate the D-Day landings so I put in a few phone calls, put a few people together, and this is the result.”

D-Day on 6 June 1944 was the largest military amphibious invasion in history and was vital to the Allies winning the war.

During the daring mission, Mr Hunt commanded a fleet of 15 Rhino landing barges.

In the space of four months, he and his team delivered 93,000 tanks, guns and vehicles, as well as nearly half a million tonnes of supplies. 

He was later appointed the Queen’s Barge Master, before retiring from royal service in 1990.