Veterans and volunteers from the Taxi Charity travelled to Normandy to pay their respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Second World War during D Day and the Battle for Normandy
The visit forms part of the Charity’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that the courage and sacrifice of the wartime generation are never forgotten.
Speaking during the service at Memorial Pegasus Museum on 5 June Taxi Charity Chairman Colin Mills said:
“The names of the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice must never be forgotten. Tell your children, tell your grandchildren and tell your great-grandchildren about their courage and sacrifice, so that future generations will always remember the price that was paid for the freedoms we enjoy today.”
Following the service at Pegasus Memorial Museum, the veterans and volunteers enjoyed lunch and spent time reflecting on the events of D-Day and the airborne operations that helped secure the Allied landings in Normandy.
Later in the afternoon, the group attended the launch of photographer Robin Savage’s exhibition ‘Go To It’. The exhibition featured portraits of Second World War veterans, including several who had travelled to Normandy with the Taxi Charity over the years. For many visitors, the exhibition was particularly poignant, as some the veterans captured in Robin’s photographs have since passed away. The portraits serve as a lasting tribute to their service, sacrifice and the stories they shared, ensuring that future generations will continue to remember them.
On 6 June, the veterans and volunteers attended the D-Day commemorative service at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in Ranville, joining members of the local community, military representatives and visitors from across the world in paying tribute to those who lost their lives during the Normandy campaign. The service provided a poignant opportunity to remember the courage and sacrifice of the men and women who helped secure the freedoms enjoyed today.
The following day, 7 June, the group visited The Longest Yarn exhibition, the remarkable 80-metre knitted and crocheted depiction of the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy. The exhibition, created by hundreds of volunteers from around the world, brought the story of Operation Overlord to life and provided veterans and visitors alike with a unique and moving perspective on the events of June 1944.
Grace Mawson, one of the Taxi Charity volunteers on the trip said:
“I have had such a wonderful weekend. I cannot put it into words. No one will ever understand what it feels like to be involved in this wonderful charity, the wonderful people behind it all and the wonderful people involved in it all unless you’re in it. How lucky am I. It’s an honour and a privilege to be part of our veteran’s lives. I have done some pretty wild and amazing things in my 35 years of life, but these trips just hit different. Definitely up there with one of the best or the best thing I’ve done in life. Thank you so so much for having me.”
To fund and facilitate their work, the charity is wholly reliant on donations, grants and sponsorship.
Pictures credit Dick Goodwin
