Schoolboys honour D-Day heroes

Monday June 22, 2009

The memory of those who fought in Normandy during the Second World War was honoured at an international event attended by a group of Fulham schoolboys.

The pupils from Henry Compton School were among a sizeable UK delegation which travelled to France to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings on June 6.

Among them was Ken Adams, 15, of Lillie Road, who took along medals awarded to his great uncle Ken Cale, who stormed Gold Beach.

Ken, whose great uncle died when he was two, told h&f news the trip definitely had an impact on him.

"It's terrible to imagine a member of your family running across those beaches, it definitely puts it into perspective," he said. "Everyone felt quite emotional when we visited the beaches."

Mr Cale, who lived in Hammersmith, joined the army in 1943 and was discharged in
1947, after accidentally shooting himself in the foot.

He was awarded the Defence Medal for his service and also the Normandy Campaign Medal for his role in the invasion.

Young Ken, a cadet with the 207 (Hammersmith) Royal Signals who is planning a career in the military, added: "I am really proud to think that, even after how hard it was, he managed to come back home."

The trip, from Friday, June 5, to Sunday, June 7, was organised by history teacher Charlie Drew and subsidised by the Royal British Legion.

During the weekend, the group visited Arromanches and the beach at Asnelles, where the boys planted Union Flags bearing messages of thanks and remembrance.

They were also among hundreds of guests who attended moving remembrance services at the Bayeux War Cemetery and Bayeux Cathedral.

Mr Drew said the purpose of the trip was to keep alive the memory of those who sacrificed themselves for their country.

"Coming from a diverse school, where we have freedoms of religion and culture, it's incredibly important for all people to keep that alive as much as possible," he said.

More than 4,400 Allies troops were killed on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and a further 200,000 died liberating Normandy during the next few months.

However, the campaign, which was planned in Hammersmith, proved to be a significant step in the victory over Nazi Germany the following year.