SECOND World War veterans gathered together yesterday to pay their respects to the thousands who died during D-Day.

The 63rd anniversary of the allied landings was marked with a moving service outside Worcester Cathedral.

Addressing the small crowd stood around the cenotaph, John Hewlett, chairman of the Worcester branch of the Royal British Legion, said: "I am here to remember fallen friends.

"They would have wanted us to be here today, to remember."

After laying a poppy wreath, prayers were said by chaplain-in-chief to the Royal Air Force the Ven Ron Hesketh. Mr Hewlett recited a verse of Laurence Binyon's famous poem For The Fallen and Roy Runicles played The Last Post.

About a dozen members of the public stopped to listen to the service. D-Day - codename Operation Overlord - took place on June 6 1944. It was the day the Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy. Thousands died during the Battle of Normandy: 29,000 Americans, 11,000 British, 5,000 Canadians, 23,000 Germans and 12,200 French civilians.

SEE TODAY'S OPINION