Year 6 Paragon pupils attended a special ceremony on Tuesday 21st May at Haycombe Cemetery, organised by The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
99-year-old Bath veteran Stan Ford shared his D-Day memories with the gathering and told them how his ship, HMS Fratton, was torpedoed, hurling him into the water along with his gun platform. He was badly injured and lost 31 crew members that day. Mr Ford answered pupils’ questions about his experiences, emphasising the importance of the next generation never forgetting the young men and women who never returned home after serving in the Second World War.
Torches of commemoration were lit and passed on to Paragon pupils as part of a ‘Lighting their Legacy’ campaign, building connections between veterans and young people to inspire them to understand the lessons of the Second World War.
Paragon pupil, Emmie, said, “It was an honour, just to know that you are standing in front of a person who is one of the reasons that you are alive today makes you feel so happy.”
Director of Sport, Toby Goodman, who organised the visit, said, “This was such an inspirational occasion and I’m delighted our Paragon children could be present to meet Stan and to receive the commemorative torch on behalf of the next generation. Hopefully this will be something they remember for years to ensure that the sacrifices and lessons learnt from previous conflicts are not forgotten.”