Martin Freeman moves D-Day crowd to tears with letter from veteran, 99, who watched friend die in front of him as he cleared mines on the beaches of Normandy

Martijn Vrijman brought the crowd to tears as he read a letter from a veteran who had to watch his friend die in Normandy.

As part of the commemoration ceremony, letters from the war heroes were read out, including one from Joe Mines, 99, from Hornchurch who was also at the event in Ver-sur-Mer.

Mr Mines landed on Gold Beach 80 years ago today. His letter read heartbreakingly: ‘I was 19 when I landed, but I was still a boy… and I had no idea of ​​war and murder.’

Mr Freeman read to the glassy crowd how Mr Mines was forced to watch his friend’s leg blown off as they tried to clear the mines on the beaches.

Martin Freeman moved the crowd to tears as he read a letter from a veteran who had to watch his friend die in Normandy

As part of the commemoration ceremony, letters from the war heroes were read out, including one from Joe Mines (right), 99, from Hornchurch who was also at the event in Ver-sur-Mer.

Mr Freeman read to the howling crowd how Mr Mines was forced to watch his friend’s leg blown off as they tried to clear the mines on the beaches.

British WWII veteran Joe Mines, 99, greets from a car after a welcome ceremony

“Joe Mines, clearing mines. One of our guys stepped on it and blew his leg off. The whole leg went. War is cruel.’

He wrote that this would be the last time he would be able to pay his respects to his fellow comrades, which is why he had to be there today.

‘This is the last and only chance for me. The last one that will ever be. And that’s because of the boys. I want to pay my respects to those who didn’t make it. May they rest in peace.’

Mr. Mines smiled and waved to applause from the audience as Mr. Freeman concluded his speech and took a seat next to the veteran.

Freeman’s paternal grandfather, Leonard W Freeman, was a medic who died fighting at Dunkirk.

Social media users wrote to X how special they thought the moment was and praised the actor for how well he pronounced Mr. Mine’s words.

One wrote: ‘Just listening to Martin Freeman reading Joe Mind’s [sic] memories of the D-day landing at the Memorial Service in Normandy. Beautiful and so moving. He couldn’t have read it better! Thank you.’

Another said: ‘Martin Freeman told the story of Joe Mines there so well, I would be in floods if I read that… beautiful service, beautiful memorial.’

A third added: ‘WOW Martin Freeman just read the most moving speech for #DDAY80.’

And a fourth wrote: ‘To these last few men we owe so much of remembering their stories. Sir the eyes are leaking and I don’t care.’

A veteran wipes a tear from his eye

Veteran Jack Mortimer gets emotional as he travels from Britain to France on Tuesday, June 4, ahead of D-Day commemorations

A veteran smells a white rose given to him by French schoolchildren to mark the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings in Ver-sur-Mer

There were tears among the crowd, including veterans, at the emotional service in Ver-sur-Mer in northern France this morning

Tweets praising Martin Freeman for his speech in which he read a letter from war veteran Joe Mines

D-Day veterans have been left in tears as memories of decades past flooded as they were honored for their service by world leaders and royal houses.

Soldiers who took part in the Normandy landings eighty years ago wept as they remembered their fallen comrades and received standing ovations from grateful younger generations at a series of moving commemoration events in the north of the country. France.

Tributes were paid to the ‘remarkable war generation’ at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer, before poppy wreaths were laid in memory of the more than 25,000 soldiers who lost their lives in the early stages of the Nazi invasion. -occupied Europe.

The number of veterans present was only a few dozen, while the number of survivors decreases every year – at the 75th anniversary five years ago, 255 traveled to France, compared to the 50 who made the trip this time.

King Charles And Queen Camille led those present, including the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French president Emmanuel Macronin a moving silent prayer to remember those who are no longer with us, while memories of those who were on the beaches 80 years ago were also read out.

There were also moments of levity, with Queen Camilla receiving a white rose from a veteran out of respect, with Her Majesty holding the tender gift in her hand as she spoke to the former soldiers.