How veterans remember D-Day at one Yorkshire care home

Now, on the 82nd anniversary of that day, veterans at a care home recall a moment in history and their wartime experiences.

Among those to mark the occasion today at the Wetherby home are a 103-year-old former Wren, a 101-year-old Army driver, and an RAF pilot who flew with the Red Arrows.

Daphne Turner, served in the Women's Royal Naval Service (Wrens) as a teleprinter operator in the war.

"I remember the night before VE Day so clearly," she said.

"I was working the teleprinter night shift when suddenly the busy communication lines fell strangely quiet. That silence was actually the first sign of peace, though we didn't realise it then."

Now living at Anchor's Wetherby Manor care home, the group come together to mark the D-Day anniversary.

Recalling that night and the days around D-Day on June 6, 1944, Ms Turner said these aren't just moments from history – they are memories.

There are several veteran residents at the care home.

Ivy May Farrell, who volunteered to serve in the Second World War, is now 101. When she first tried to enlist, she was turned away from the RAF for being too short.

Refusing to give up, she joined the Army instead where she was welcomed with the light-hearted promise they would “stretch her” to fit. Ms Farrell went on to train as a military driver, standing out as one of just 30 women among 600 men.

Today she looks back on her service with pride, not just for her contribution but also for the friendships she made. And for meeting her husband, William, whom she married in 1944.

Veteran resident Bob Robinson, 92, trained at Leconfield, in the East Riding, for his national service.

"It’s incredibly important that we keep sharing stories and learning from the past to protect the future,” he said.

Christine Leaman, 87, followed in her father's footsteps to join the Army in 1956, and were it not for marriage, she wouldn't have left.

And there is Peter Evans, a 91-year-old RAF pilot who flew with the Red Arrows and went on to race motorcycles at the Isle of Man TT.

After graduating from Cranwell, in Lincolnshire, he honed his flying skills in Wales and holds fond memories of his later RAF career as a pilot with the Red Arrows.

Wetherby Manor has been awarded the Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF) accreditation.

Caroline Byron, home manager, said: "Hearing their stories of service will make anyone grow with admiration and appreciation for those in the armed services. To support our veterans in their later years is nothing short of a privilege and an honour.”