A NORMANDY veteran is set to commemorate D-Day in style after Observer readers were touched by his story.
In Wednesday’s paper, 84-year-old Cyril Watts hit out at ‘heartless’ town hall officials for failing to host any events to mark the 65th anniversary of the Allied landings on the French coast.
He was so disgusted that he planned to travel to the town centre Cenotaph on his mobility scooter today (Saturday) to pay his own personal respects to fallen comrades.
But since his plight was featured in the paper, he has been inundated with phone calls from people from across the region pledging their support and offering to mark the day with him.
One of the generous offers was from a kind-hearted stranger who vowed to pick him up from his sheltered accommodation in Lisbon Street, Spotland and whisk him off to the Cenotaph on Saturday in her limousine.
The story also struck a chord with TV directors and Mr Watts was filmed by a crew from a regional programme on Thursday.
He said he was ‘overwhelmed’ by the response from the public and was looking forward to being joined at the war memorial by comrades and supporters from Greater Manchester.
He told the Observer: "A lot of people read the article and contacted me to say that they would be coming down to the Cenotaph on 6 June.
"Members of the Royal Naval Association have told me they will be present and Canon Alan Shackleton will be there to say a few words as well.
"I am still very angry that nothing official has been organised, but I’m very pleased with the wonderful response as it shows that people still care about the anniversary."
Mr Watts was an officer on a minesweeper at the time of the Normandy landings.
Councillor Tom Bailey, the chairman of the Rochdale branch of the British Legion, has promised to look at ways of commemorating the anniversary next year.
Mr Watts’ unofficial ceremony to remember D-Day will take place from 10.45am at the Cenotaph.
Members of the public are welcome.
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Alan Robinson (07/06/2009 at 16:56)
On Thursday 4 June 2009 the people of the United Kingdom were invited to cast their votes for the UK’s component of the European Parliament.
On Saturday 6th June 1944 nearly 160,000 troops crossed the English Channel in the first phase of a three month operation to liberate France and defeat the Nazi grip on Europe.
A tenuous relationship? I think not.
Over two million men endured the indescribable horrors of war over the next three months with 226,386 of them – almost the population of Rochdale Borough – paying the ultimate sacrifice. Had they not, none of us would have been voting on Thursday. Words like Freedom, Rights, Liberal and Democracy would not exist.
At approximately 10.30 am on Saturday 6th June, 65 years to the day, around 50 or so pilgrims, some survivors from the battle itself, came from a variety of local ex-servicemen organisations, including the Royal British Legion, to assemble at the cenotaph in Rochdale. They braved the inclement weather again, but this time to pay their respects to those who had given their lives, led by Canon Alan Shackleton of the RBL, who delivered the eulogy and blessing in the wind and the rain.
Most of those present were in their mid to late eighties. They made the effort, yet were offered no comfort by the LibDem Local Authority. No Mayor, no MP, no cup of tea. Not even the Town Hall offered any refreshments or facilities.
Why not?
Have we become so self-absorbed that we just take those sacrifices for granted? Is the Council so engrossed in its own survival that it has forgotten the very reason why it exists? Is the Council as lifeless as the town centre?
You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
I would like you to ponder over an extract from a speech Churchill gave to the French in 1940:
“For the morning will come. Brightly it will shine on the brave and true, kindly upon all who suffer for the cause, glorious upon the tombs of heroes. Thus will shine the dawn.”
Now do some soul-searching. Oh, of course, you need to have a soul to start with…
Next year may be too late for many.
Lest nos alieno
Rochdale
(Submitted by A Robinson on behalf of his father, mother and grandparents - all from Rochdale area - and those who still believe in a value system).
The Evangelist33, Rochdale (09/06/2009 at 14:35)