Veterans' emotional tribute to D-Day hero

D-Day veteran David Duffield became a familiar face to scores of schoolchildren by sharing his memories of the Second World War battle.

The father-of-four, a member of the Royal Artillery Regiment, survived after landing on Gold Beach on June 6, 1944 - one of the bloodiest days of the Second World War.

He then spent the last five years before his death on July 5 sharing his memories of the traumatic event with pupils at Tipton's Alexandra High School in a bid to teach children the lessons of history.

Today, some of his fellow veterans who embarked on the journey to France along with a group of children from the school, held aloft their standards and lay a wreath in the sea to commemorate his heroic life, before scattering his ashes.

"I feel very upset," said Mr Duffield's daughter Eileen Hickman, who asked the veterans to take her father's ashes to France.

"He loved coming to the school. He never said much to us about his experiences when we were young, but coming here was really important to him."

Leading the service was 88-year-old D-Day veteran Len Whitehouse, from Coseley, the oldest member of Tipton's Royal British Legion.

Along with Mr Duffield, he was one of the 132,500 men who landed on the Normandy beaches and he admitted the trip would be emotional.

"It was something you could never imagine," he said. "I've been back four times and it always brings back a lot of memories.

"I think of all the young men, 18 and 19-year-olds who died there. Sometimes the memories fade but when I'm back there they all come back."

And Mr Duffield's friend, former Royal Air Force serviceman Victor Price, aged 78, was holding the standard.

"We will go to the beach, I'll have the standard and we'll lay a wreath for him," said Mr Price, from Wednesbury. "

"He was a great man and a good friend of mine."

The veterans regularly share their experiences at Alexandra High School and around 20 students have accompanied them on the trip. Pupil Jed Palmer, aged 14, said: "This is the first time I've been to Normandy, I'm really looking forward to it.

"It's really good to speak to the veterans and hear about their experiences.

"To talk to someone who was actually there makes it all the more real."

Raymond Cottrell, 84, who also served in the Royal Air Force, said: "They keep us young.

"I love coming to the school, they ask us questions and we want to make sure the youngsters know what happened all those years ago."

Former Sherman tank driver Arthur Jones, aged 82, from Pendeford, Wolverhampton, also fought in Normandy

He added: "A lot of veterans don't want to talk about their experiences and I understand that.

"But at the same time I think it's important that they do, that they tell young people what happened, how young men lost their lives and so many never came home."

Sandwell mayor, Councillor Bob Price, waved the coach party off on their trip yesterday and sent a wreath on behalf of the people of Sandwell to lay at the beach.