300 D-Day veterans sailing on Fred. Olsen’s Boudicca remembrance cruise

Boudicca is the largest cruise ship to berth in Poole at the port’s new 200mtr long and 40mtr wide quay as part of the £10m South Quay expansion works.

Jim Stewart, Chief Executive of Poole Harbour Commissioners, the trust port that runs the harbour, said: ‘The arrival of our largest cruise ship to date is an especially significant occasion as we are welcoming 300 special guests, the youngest of whom is 92, to mark an important D-Day anniversary.

Boudicca sailed from Dover on June 2 on The Royal British Legion's remembrance cruise offered free to D-Day veterans and their companions, funded by the UK government in conjunction with the Ministry of Defence.

Commemorative events in England and France

The are attending a series of commemorative events in both England and France, to mark the 75th anniversary of the Normandy Landings on June 6, 1944.

To commemorate the sailing, Boudicca’s exterior has been decorated with The Royal British Legion's red poppy insignia, most notably on the bow, stern and deckhouse.

Boudicca visited Dunkirk, France on Monday and will dock in Portsmouth on June 5 from where much of the Allied landing force sailed in 1944.

On June 6, Boudicca will arrive in Le Havre and the veterans will disembark early in the morning to attend a memorial service at the Bayeux CWGC Cemetery followed by an overnight stay and visit to the Normandy beaches.

Boudicca will return to Portsmouth on June 8 and then sail to Dover arriving the following day.