European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 3, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday june a 1994 the stars and stripes Page 9u.k. Vets look for Low key events by Mark Kinkade stall writer arro Manches France Frank Spiegel Halter shouted As a Convoy of Vintage world War ii jeeps and trucks rolled past him wednesday through the narrow streets of arro Manches. Quot certainly one has to feel the. Americans have done it bigger a Spiegelhalter who is from England said As a . Personnel Carrier rumbled past bearing a huge White Star on the Hood and a . Flag on its Antenna. Quot but then they always do. Americans usually try to do it bigger and better Spiegelhalter is one of several thousand British veterans of the june 6, 1944, landings at Gold sword and Juno beaches who have gathered near arro Manches for ceremonies honouring the British and Canadian contribution to the Normandy invasion. The veterans Are Here for ceremonies that will take place along the 20 Miles of Norman coastline they secured 50 years ago. The festivities begin sunday at 11 . With a Wreath laying at an Ellis about two Miles from the arro Manches invasion memorial. Several smaller ceremonies also arc planned sunday throughout the Landing Region including a Wreath laying dedication to Canadian forces in Haven a Wreath laying in port in Bessin and the illumination of the liberation Monument in Bayeux. About 2,000 British soldiers have set up quarters in Bayeux and in smaller towns along the invasion route to support the ceremonies said maj. Lindsay Wilson a press officer with the 3rd United kingdom div. Most of the soldiers were scheduled to arrive in Normandy on thursday. On monday the military takes Center stage at five locations along the British sector Wilson said. Planners have scheduled ceremonies in the towns lining the beaches where British Canadian and other Commonwealth forces pushed ashore. Frenchman Renee Penis puts finishing touches on a grandstand thursday in arro Manches. £45 Dav Casey Queen Elizabeth ii and most of the Royal family Are scheduled to preside Over various ceremonies Wilson said. In arro Manches where the British established an artificial Harbor during the opening Days of the invasion workers wednesday were putting the finishing touches on bleachers facing the sea for veterans to watch the ceremonies. But Spiegelhalter like Many British veterans said the ceremonies have taken a Back seat to american ceremonies at Omaha Beach and the american cemetery a few Miles West of arro Manches. Quot is just As Well though a Spiegelhalter said. Quot this is More of a solemn occasion and really should t be so grand As the americans have it. But suppose it s to be  Dennis Courno who came ashore at an Ellis about three weeks after the British secured the beachhead in 1944, said he almost skipped the ceremonies because he feared they would be a too  Quot to be honest i really was t Happy with the plans they made a Courno said. Quot but the vets stood up and said they wanted to True sure it. Was Low key i Hope they be done it.�?�. Into cast grave at sea getting into the act 5&s Dove Didio stuffed with patriotic Good will this window creation in Weymouth England is typical of shopkeepers displays welcoming american and British veterans Back for a Day celebrations. Aboard the qe2 apr on a rare Calm Day in the North Atlantic Canadian veterans heading Over to the a Day Observance honoured buddies lost at sea a half Century ago. A the Hast time i saw a Day As smooth As this we lost our ship and it was right about Here a Henry Van Kervel of Vancouver British Columbia recalled wednesday. As he spoke he tossed a Wreath of red poppies into the churning Wake of the Queen Elizabeth 2 in memory of fellow seamen on Canadian naval and merchant ships who died in world War is Battle of the Atlantic the canadians Are part of a w ave of veterans coming Back to the beaches of Normandy on monday the 50th anniversary of a Day Van Kervel a sonar operator on the Corvette Arvida recalled that on Quot a Day in the Spring of 1943 when the sea was like a Lake just like this we Sank a German sub. We must have had Loo shallow a setting on our depth charges and just blew ourselves up Quot some 80 Canadian veterans Many of them infantrymen who landed on Juno Beach the bloodiest after Omaha Beach stood at attention in the ships swimming poo area to watch the casting of memorial wreaths from the Bow As a Royal Marine bugler sounded the last Post. Darcy Meehan of Sudbury Ontario came ashore in the first wave on a Day with the 3rd Canadian div. He is still grateful and amazed at How close the supporting naval gunboats ventured in toward Shore. Quot when we were going in some destroyers got Between our Landing Craft and the Beach and were Blaz thought _ on those obstacles the germans planted along the beaches a he said. A they were supposed to be mined but the mines did no to go off. We jumped into water up to our chests and headed for the sea Wall where there was some  Meehan remembers getting off the Beach Quot in less than two hours through a Hole in the sea Wall and moving through some town. I Don t remember the name of  �?o1 was just a private a he added Quot and they done to Tell privates  inf away. I thought they were going to run around. We got Hung t