Local veteran, Peter Harness, spoke to the Prime Minister, Theresa May, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and shook hands with Prince Charles during the international Commemorations to mark D-Day 75. Mr Harness and his wife, Sue, were among 300 D-Day veterans aboard the MV Boudicca which had been chartered by the Royal British Legion for the event which left Dover for the trip which included visits to Portsmouth, Arromanches and Bayeux.

From the moment they boarded the Boudicca the couple told the Gazette they were treated well by everyone, from the staff on the ship, to the guides who accompanied them. They said the food was fantastic and they enjoyed all the entertainment on board.

The oldest veteran Peter spoke to was 97 and everywhere they went people wanted to know how old he had been at D-Day. Peter had joined the Merchant Navy as a 16-year-old and on D-Day made 14 trips across the Channel.

And although he recalls with clarity that dreadful time, he was thrilled to see the time and trouble that had been made to thank all the veterans.

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