WWII Veteran Reginald Pye has a vivid memory of sharing his food with a young French girl in 1944. He would love to reunite with the child who will now be in her nineties.
The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans has just returned from a trip to Normandy for the D Day commemorations with a group of WWII Veterans. During the trip one of the veterans shared a moving story of one special moment in France.
Reg Pye, 98 from Berry Port, served with the 224 Field Company, Royal Engineers as a driver carrying sappers, mines and ammunitions. He landed on Sword beach and one night as he moved through Normandy his convoy was held up in a town in France for an evening. Their food that night was a meagre piece of bread with jam. As he was about to eat his, he saw a young girl starring at him. She looked as if she was desperately in need of food so without hesitation Reg gave her his bread and jam and she hurried away. The next morning, he awoke to find a picture of her, with a message on the back and his mess tin half full of milk. A beautiful gift to thank him for sharing his dinner with her.
WWII Veteran Reg Pye said, “The memory of my very brief encounter with this young girl will stay with me forever. In the bleakest of times this bit of humanity interaction made a huge mark on my life. I went back to Normandy about fifty years afterwards to try and trace her but unfortunately, I wasn’t successful. I would love to ask her if she has any recollection of our meeting and I hope that with the picture of her and the wording on the back of the image, someone might be able to help me trace her, so that I can tell her how much I treasure that memory.”
Paul Cook, London Cab Driver and Taxi Charity Volunteer said, “I feel privileged to have spent a week with the veterans in Normandy for the D Day commemorations. Over the days we hear many amazing stories but this one from Reg really touched me and I would love to be able to see his wish come true to meet her or her family.”
TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT.
Veterans Remember D Day in Normandy
The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans escorted a group of veterans to Normandy for the D Day commemorations
London Cab Drivers who volunteer for the Taxi Charity took a group of 24 veterans to Normandy for six days for the D Day Commemorations.
The trip included visits to the British Normandy Memorial and the Juno Beach Centre, ceremonies of remembrance at Grangues, Pegasus Memorial and the Ranville Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery, an afternoon with students from a school in Cabourg and a meeting with the D Day Commemoration Committee.
Normandy Veteran, Bill Gladden who served with the 6th Airborne, Recce Regiment, said, “I flew into Normandy in a glider on D Day and I have been fortunate to have been coming on trips for years with the Taxi Charity to remember the friends that I lost. I cannot thank the charity and all the volunteer drivers for the care they take with us. This year they arranged for me to say the Khomia Epitaph at the remembrance service at Memorial Pegasus which was a real honour. The London Cab Drivers are so kind to us and as soon as locals and visitors see the convoy of taxis they applaud and cheer as we drive past. I know they aren’t just thanking us but thanking the men and women cabbies who take the time to drive us. I’m 98 so a trip to Normandy would be unthinkable without the charity. They pick me and my niece up from home in a black cab, give us a fabulous week away and then return us to our door. They are a very special group of men and women.”
Dick Goodwin, Vice President, Taxi Charity, said, “After not being able to visit Normandy since 2019 it was a pleasure to finally be able to return these veterans to France to remember those who did not come home. The pandemic has had a devastating impact on fundraising for all charities and we are no different. Our veterans, their carers, and the volunteer cab drivers who generously give their time to drive us, do not pay for the trips and although it is our greatest wish to be able to return to Normandy in 2023 we need donations and support for our fundraising activities to make future trips possible.”
To find out more about the support the Taxi Charity offers veterans or to donate towards future trips please visit:
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