Back to the beaches for D-Day veteran

Former rifleman, Percy Leonard, is one of many old soldiers taking a trip to the beaches in northern France where hundreds of troops perished during the Allied invasion of Europe during the Second World War.

It will be the second time the 79-year-old has been back to the site since the end of the war in 1945 to remember his fallen comrades who lost their lives in battle.

His trip has been funded by the National Lottery's Heroes Return scheme which has put up the cash to help 300 north west veterans, widows and carers revisit Second World War battlefields across the world.

Mr Leonard who served with the 700-strong 4th Armoured Brigade of the King's Royal Rifle Corps, was only 18 when he and his colleagues landed on Juno beach in the early hours of the morning on June 6.

"We were deployed from Southampton to advance as a flying column to gain as much ground as we could," said father-of-two Mr Leonard, 79, of Longridge.

"We didn't know where we were going or what we were going into. I was very frightened when I saw the first ships bringing back the dead and injured. They were covered with bodies.

"You could barely move because it was so crowded.

"There were bombs and gun fire going off everywhere. We had to press on but you were lucky if you moved more than a few yards."

The brigade pushed on through Caen and up into Ghent covering 80 miles on the first day.

Despite the thousands of soldiers killed, injured or missing in action the D-Day invasion by Allied troops was a turning point in the war and played a major role in securing victory in Europe the following year.

"It was the most important battle in history and I dread to think what it would be like today if we'd not won," said the grandfather-of-three, originally from London, who is travelling to France with his wife Doreen who he married during the war.

"I don't think people should be constantly reminded about D-Day but the soldiers who fought should always be remembered."