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The invasion of France in 1944, Codenamed Operation Overlord, was the most significant victory of the Western Allies during the Second World War.
Christian evangelist Roy Cooper is thought to be the oldest surviving Royal Navy officer to take part in D Day.
He volunteered for service following the outbreak of the second world war in 1939 and joined the Royal Navy on his 23rd birthday the following year.
He worked as a nursing officer and laboratory technician in a naval hospital near Portsmouth where they had to endure nightly air raids.
After three years in the naval hospital he went to sea and eventually became a commissioned officer in February 1944. In the run up to D Day He was on one of eight ships that entered under the cover of darkness into the German-occupied St Peter Port, Guernsey, to lay mines.
For Roy The number of times he have escaped death in the war was remarkable.
On the day before D Day he was promoted to second in command and transferred to another ship.
His original ship was sunk at Cherbourg just six days after he left it, with only two survivors.
Today at the age of 101 Sub-Lieutenant Roy Cooper is in Normandy overlooking to Gold Beach remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice
Premier Northern Correspondent Ian Britton had the chance to interview Roy before he boarded the MV Boudicca with 300 other veterans heading to Normandy to attend the acts of remembrance.
Click below to listen to his story
Inspirational Breakfast with Esther Higham There'll be a host of events across the country throughout the rest of the week until Sunday 9th June, including the UK's national event today in Portsmouth.Our Northern Correspondent Ian Britton paid a special visit to the city of Carlisle to meet a member of staff at the Royal British Legion.
