THE Veterans of Normandy held their monthly meeting on Wednesday. The meeting coincided with the funeral of an old comrade, Veteran Ken Manning, a long-serving and popular member of the Somerset Branch of the Normandy Veterans Association, which sadly ceased to exist two months ago. The funeral of Ken was very well attended and the old Normandy Prayer was read by a Royal Navy veteran of the NVA. Sadly, there were only a few of Ken's old comrades well enough to attend but it was pleasing to see the new veterans group well represented. Age and sickness have inevitably taken their toll, for it should be remembered that most, if not all, the veterans who went ashore in Normandy in 1944 are now well over eighty.

However, there is still a few, all elderly, but still in reasonable health, wishing to stay together, who have formed a new group, known as the Veterans of Normandy, and which meets every month in Taunton. The new group will continue to meet for as long as they are able, hopefully for a few more years yet. It will continue as an informal, local organisation but hopes to attend both local and overseas events as in the past. A party has recently returned from the annual visit to Normandy, where they were again received with great warmth and enthusiasm. At the end of August the Veterans of Normandy have been invited to the Port of Antwerp in Belgium, where they will be honoured guests of the people, who continue to celebrate each year their liberation by British troops. So, the future for veterans of the Normandy campaign who are fortunate enough to be in reasonably good health, even for just a few years, looks promising.

Members are particularly pleased to have the tremendous support of Dr Willem van de Griend, who used to be a Patron on the NVA Somerset Branch. Dr Willem is well known in the Netherlands legal circles and is a very keen supporter of the veterans who liberated his homeland.

Visits to schools and other venues may still be possible, further information can be obtained from the secretary at Taunton on 01823-259788.