D-Day veterans head to France

Thousands of D-Day veterans were today making their way to France to take part in the last great anniversary of the Normandy landings.

On this day 60 years ago the men who spearheaded Operation Overlord were still waiting, in their camps and warships, for the weather to clear before the largest amphibious invasion the world has seen could begin.

None knew what fate awaited them, or whether they would ever make it back.

They are old men now, most of them in their eighties or nineties, and this weekend's anniversary will be the last time most will ever return to the beaches where they lost so many comrades. Some 135,000 soldiers landed on the five beaches Juno, Sword, Gold, Omaha and Utah on 6 June 1944; by the end of the day 10,000 Allied servicemen were killed, wounded or missing.

But the beaches were taken - and Hitler's defeat drew closer.

This weekend at least 11,000 former Allied soldiers, sailors and airmen will be in Normandy for a weekend of lavish ceremony. Philip Metvger, director of communications for the mission set up in Paris to co-ordinate the anniversary events, said at least 4,000 British, 4,000 Canadian, and 3,000 US veterans were expected.

But that figure is much smaller than British estimates. The Veterans' Agency said that 21,000 veterans and supporters have expressed an interest. With dignitaries and journalists, the number could reach 100,000.