Surviving Normandy Veterans Remember Their Role on D-Day

(EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: COMPOSITE IMAGE) In this composite image a comparison has been made between a photograph of Geoff Pattison taken in 1944 (L) and one (R) taken at his home on April 2 2014. ***LEFT Image*** (HANDOUT PHOTO) ***RIGHT Image***LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 02: Normany veteran 90-year-old Geoff Pattinson poses for a photograph at his home on April 2, 2014 in London, England. On D-Day, June 6 1944 he set out in one of three gliders that were meant to crash land at the Merville battery and the troops were tasked with taking out the long range guns. However during the flight to France the tow rope snapped and the glider was forced to land in England. He flew again later that day and was a few weeks later was wounded in Normandy by a German machine gun. Asked what his most vivid memory of D-Day was he replied: 'Most of us thought we had landed in France. When we got out though, low and behold we were still in England and that was the anti-climax of my life. I couldnt believe we had missed our target and I couldnt believe we had landed in England.' June 6 2014 will see the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings which saw 156,000 Allied troops from The United States, The United Kingdom, Canada, Free France and Norway begin the liberation of France which eventually helped led to the defeat of Nazi Germany. A series of commemoration events are being planned in Normandy, but with the youngest participants now at least 88-years-old, it is also expected to be the last memorial pilgrimage to France for many of the surviving veterans. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)