98-year-old D-Day veteran shares memories with schoolchildren ahead of anniversary

But then he saw an appeal in a local newspaper asking for memories of the conflict and he decided it was time to open up.

Now 80 years on from D-Day, he is helping to explain to a younger generation what went on during that expedition which for him seemed like a Boy Scouts outing until reality struck when he realised his missing friends had not been as fortunate as him.

On Friday (May 24), Mr Cooke, now 98, of York was in Harrogate as part of the Commonwealth War Grave Commission’s Lighting Their Legacy torch roadshow event. This event at the Stonefall cemetery has been created with building connections between veterans and young people at the heart of the programme, in a bid to improve education, connect with younger generations and inspire them to understand the lessons of the Second World War.

At the event at Stonefall was a class of year 6 pupils from Willow Tree Primary School in Harrogate who spoke to Mr Cooke and listened to his memories of the conflict.

The children also decorated paper tributes which will be placed at Stonefall before being taken over to Normandy in time for the D Day commemorations. The event ended with the lighting of the torch of commemoration and a moment of reflection.

It comes as the CWGC warned that this year’s 80th anniversary may be “the final major commemoration attended by veterans of D-Day”.

Rishi Sunak began the commemorative torch relay, handing the torch to Navy seaman D-Day veteran Peter Kent, 99, at Horse Guards, London.

The torch is now travelling to key cemetery and memorial sites around the UK before crossing the channel with veterans for official commemorations.

The Prime Minister will also join members of the royal family at commemorative events in Normandy to mark the anniversary.