'For those of us still here it's our duty to honour those who aren't'

WITH just days to go to mark the 81st anniversary of D-Day, 14 former warriors are taking the path to Normandy to pay tribute to the pals they left behind.

- By Giles Sheldrick

They take their memories and a simple message: “For those of us still here, it’s our duty to honour those who aren’t.”

They will remember those who perished during the mighty Allied invasion of June 6, 1944.

Some realise it may well be a valedictory pilgrimage, a final but no less important chance to salute those who died in the fight to liberate occupied Europe.

Marie Scott, who was 17 and serving with the Women's Royal Naval Service on D-Day, said: “It’s not about reliving the past, it’s about recognising the cost of our freedom.

“For those of us still here it’s our duty to honour those who aren’t. The fields, the beaches, the cemeteries, these are sacred places.

“We return not for ourselves, but for them.”

Marie, now 98, will be part of a cavalcade of black cabs travelling with the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans. A further seven heroes will return with The Spirit of Normandy Trust.

Their trips are only possible after veterans and the Daily Express fought a battle with penny-pinching ministers who refused to fund bed and board before a humiliating climbdown.