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| D-Day 70th anniversary: World leaders gather for ceremony | D-Day 70th anniversary: World leaders gather for ceremony |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| World leaders are joining hundreds of veterans in Normandy to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. | World leaders are joining hundreds of veterans in Normandy to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. |
| Heads of state will meet at Ouistreham, one of the five beaches where Allied troops landed on 6 June 1944. | Heads of state will meet at Ouistreham, one of the five beaches where Allied troops landed on 6 June 1944. |
| French President Francois Hollande will give a speech followed by US President Barack Obama. The Queen and Russian President Vladimir Putin will also go. | French President Francois Hollande will give a speech followed by US President Barack Obama. The Queen and Russian President Vladimir Putin will also go. |
| There will also be a re-enactment of the landings, which were the start of the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. | There will also be a re-enactment of the landings, which were the start of the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. |
| The day's commemorations began at midnight with a vigil at Pegasus Bridge near Ouistreham, marking the first assault of the D-Day invasion when British soldiers began the first Allied action of the campaign. | The day's commemorations began at midnight with a vigil at Pegasus Bridge near Ouistreham, marking the first assault of the D-Day invasion when British soldiers began the first Allied action of the campaign. |
| At 00:16 on 6 June 1944, six Horsa gliders carrying 181 men from the Glider Pilot Regiment and the 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, landed silently to capture the strategically-vital bridge and another nearby. | At 00:16 on 6 June 1944, six Horsa gliders carrying 181 men from the Glider Pilot Regiment and the 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, landed silently to capture the strategically-vital bridge and another nearby. |
| This paved the way for soldiers landing on the Normandy beaches to move inland and reinforce their airborne colleagues. It also prevented the Germans from repelling the invasion on the coast. | This paved the way for soldiers landing on the Normandy beaches to move inland and reinforce their airborne colleagues. It also prevented the Germans from repelling the invasion on the coast. |
| Cpl Bill Bryant, of the Royal Marines, has returned to Normandy to mark the anniversary and he told the BBC that "all hell was being let loose" as he landed on the beach 70 years ago. | Cpl Bill Bryant, of the Royal Marines, has returned to Normandy to mark the anniversary and he told the BBC that "all hell was being let loose" as he landed on the beach 70 years ago. |
| "I was scared out of my life," he said, adding that it was emotional to return to northern France as it brought back "too many memories". | "I was scared out of my life," he said, adding that it was emotional to return to northern France as it brought back "too many memories". |
| In other events: | |
| The Prince of Wales recognised the soldiers' feats on Thursday when he laid a wreath at the spot where one of the gliders landed, before meeting veterans of the Glider Pilot Regiment and their families with the Duchess of Cornwall. | The Prince of Wales recognised the soldiers' feats on Thursday when he laid a wreath at the spot where one of the gliders landed, before meeting veterans of the Glider Pilot Regiment and their families with the Duchess of Cornwall. |
| A 21-gun salute and a flypast will also form part of proceedings at Friday's ceremony. | A 21-gun salute and a flypast will also form part of proceedings at Friday's ceremony. |
| At the D-Day commemorations | At the D-Day commemorations |
| Fergal Keane, BBC News | Fergal Keane, BBC News |
| The children saw the old men through the windows of the coaches. An excited clamour spread across the schoolyard. As the first figures in berets and regimental blazers descended from the vehicles a chant went up. "Merci, merci," called the chorus of young voices. | The children saw the old men through the windows of the coaches. An excited clamour spread across the schoolyard. As the first figures in berets and regimental blazers descended from the vehicles a chant went up. "Merci, merci," called the chorus of young voices. |
| The veterans from Norfolk were clearly moved to be back in Normandy 70 years after they had first arrived as part of the D-Day invasion force. | The veterans from Norfolk were clearly moved to be back in Normandy 70 years after they had first arrived as part of the D-Day invasion force. |
| "I wouldn't have missed this for anything in the world," said Len Fox, who was 19 when he landed in France as a despatch rider with the Royal Army Service Corps. | "I wouldn't have missed this for anything in the world," said Len Fox, who was 19 when he landed in France as a despatch rider with the Royal Army Service Corps. |
| Veterans and their families have been arriving in Normandy from all over Britain as well as contingents from the United States and Canada. | Veterans and their families have been arriving in Normandy from all over Britain as well as contingents from the United States and Canada. |
| At the main German graveyard at La Cambe relatives of German soldiers laid simple floral tributes. | At the main German graveyard at La Cambe relatives of German soldiers laid simple floral tributes. |
| "We are the first German generation in 300 years that has not fought a war - and this is a good thing," said Joseph Knecht, grandson of a veteran. | "We are the first German generation in 300 years that has not fought a war - and this is a good thing," said Joseph Knecht, grandson of a veteran. |
| UK Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will also be there. | UK Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will also be there. |
| Mr Putin will be at the ceremony with Prince Charles, who reportedly criticised the Russian president while speaking to a woman during a tour in Canada. | Mr Putin will be at the ceremony with Prince Charles, who reportedly criticised the Russian president while speaking to a woman during a tour in Canada. |
| Ukraine's President-elect Petro Poroshenko is expected to attend, amid tensions between his country and Russia. | Ukraine's President-elect Petro Poroshenko is expected to attend, amid tensions between his country and Russia. |
| In face-to-face talks in Paris, Mr Cameron said he gave Mr Putin a "very clear and firm set of messages" about the crisis in Ukraine. | In face-to-face talks in Paris, Mr Cameron said he gave Mr Putin a "very clear and firm set of messages" about the crisis in Ukraine. |
| War graves | War graves |
| Before the ceremony, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will attend a Royal British Legion service at Bayeux Cathedral. | Before the ceremony, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will attend a Royal British Legion service at Bayeux Cathedral. |
| They will then join the Queen at a remembrance service at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, also at Bayeux, where they will meet veterans. | |
| The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will attend events in Arromanches, near Gold landing beach where thousands of British troops came ashore on D-Day. | |
| Mr Cameron, speaking at Pegasus Bridge on Thursday evening, said: "People of my generation just find it hard to believe what people of my grandfather's generation did to ensure that we could all live in freedom. | Mr Cameron, speaking at Pegasus Bridge on Thursday evening, said: "People of my generation just find it hard to believe what people of my grandfather's generation did to ensure that we could all live in freedom. |
| "When you hear the stories of people coming back again, in their 90s, and what they did, and how brave they were, how many people they lost, it just is incredibly humbling but very, very moving to be with these people and to commemorate what happened 70 years ago". | "When you hear the stories of people coming back again, in their 90s, and what they did, and how brave they were, how many people they lost, it just is incredibly humbling but very, very moving to be with these people and to commemorate what happened 70 years ago". |
| D-Day heralded the beginning of an 80-day campaign in World War Two to liberate northern France. | D-Day heralded the beginning of an 80-day campaign in World War Two to liberate northern France. |
| Between 2,500 and 4,000 Allied troops are thought to have died and as many as 9,000 Germans are also estimated to have lost their lives on D-Day. | Between 2,500 and 4,000 Allied troops are thought to have died and as many as 9,000 Germans are also estimated to have lost their lives on D-Day. |
| About 156,000 troops, mainly from Britain, the US and Canada, landed on Normandy's beaches in one of World War Two's key turning points. | About 156,000 troops, mainly from Britain, the US and Canada, landed on Normandy's beaches in one of World War Two's key turning points. |
| What was D-Day? | What was D-Day? |
| On 6 June 1944, British, US and Canadian forces invaded the coast of northern France in Normandy. | On 6 June 1944, British, US and Canadian forces invaded the coast of northern France in Normandy. |
| The landings were the first stage of Operation Overlord - the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe - and were intended to end World War Two. | The landings were the first stage of Operation Overlord - the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe - and were intended to end World War Two. |
| Portsmouth's D-Day Museum says as many as 4,413 Allied troops died on the day of the invasion - more than previously thought. | Portsmouth's D-Day Museum says as many as 4,413 Allied troops died on the day of the invasion - more than previously thought. |
| By the end of D-Day, the Allies had established a foothold in France. Within 11 months Nazi Germany was defeated, as Soviet armies swept in from the east and captured Hitler's stronghold in Berlin. |