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Good morning. ‘We, once conquered by William, have now set free the Conqueror’s native land.’ That’s the translation of the Latin epitaph along the frieze of the Bayeux Memorial which was built to commemorate more than 1800 casualties - Commonwealth soldiers who died in Normandy and have no known grave. It stands opposite the Bayeux War Cemetery, the largest Second World War cemetery in France. And on this day, June 6th, my mind immediately goes back nine years to 2004, the 60th anniversary of D Day - the day on which the allied invasion of German-occupied Europe began. On that anniversary I found myself broadcasting from that cemetery, awaiting the arrival of the Queen and President Chirac who were attending the remembrance ceremony. The weather was bright and sunny and some of the veterans, proudly dressed in their uniforms with medals sparkling, were overcome by the heat. And it didn’t make things easier that, due to early fog along the coast, the royal helicopter was late!

Extra interviews had to be quickly assembled because of the delay. But what I remember so vividly was not only the willingness of those elderly soldiers to speak eloquently of their often painful memories but also the way they were all so insistent to stress that they weren’t heroes; they had a job to do and they just did it. The other frequent comment, as they gazed at the vast number of tombstones in that Bayeux cemetery – over four and a half thousand of them, mostly from the invasion of Normandy - was ‘What a waste.....’

Lord, we thank you for all who have been willing to risk everything so that our nation may dwell in peace and safety. We pray that the example of their sacrifice may inspire in us the resolve to seek your kingdom and to do your will in the world today. Amen.

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