A NEWLY formed drummer corps bestowed 'the highest honour' possible to a Wrexham D-Day veteran on Remembrance Sunday.
The Royal Welsh Corps of Drums Association, made up of both serving and veterans of 3rd Battalion Royal Welsh, is based at Hightown barracks.
Many of the members were also part of Corps of Drums - which disbanded in 2013.
On Sunday the corps led the Remembrance Day parade through Wrexham for the first time in six years - prior to which they paid homage to a veteran of one of the most important invasions in modern history.
Members of the Royal Welsh Corps of Drums Association paid homage to D-Day veteran Ted Edwards. (Credit - Paul Griffiths)
Scott Taylor, member of the corps, told the Leader: "Prior to the march we had the honour of being joined by 94-year-old D-Day veteran Ted Edwards from Wrexham.
"His granddaughter appealed for members of the public and veterans alike to attend the cenotaph for a service remembering the Normandy invasion in 1944 at 10am - an hour earlier than the main service.
"When we saw this in the Leader, the Drums invited Ted to the barracks to take the salute off us as the first person to do so as a newly formed corps.
"This is the highest honour we could bestow on any individual."
Mr Edwards was transported free of charge by Apollo Taxi’s, and driving the taxi was fellow veteran Andy Doughty - a veteran of the Northern Ireland and Iraq conflicts.
He attended and took the salute of the corps before Apollo Taxis transported him to the D-Day service at 10am.
Mr Edwards, who lives in Caia Park, previously told the Leader spoke of his enduring memories of that fateful day on June 6, 1944.
He said: "“I remember being in Clacton-on-Sea in the days leading up to it and we got the call to start moving out at about two in the morning.
Members of the Royal Welsh Corps of Drums Association with D-Day veteran Ted Edwards. (Credit - Paul Griffiths)
“We were a bit apprehensive obviously because we didn’t know what was in front of us. That was the worst part of it. If you know what’s in front of you, you’re more prepared for it.
"I was on board a medical ship. Those in front of us had gone in ok. But when it was our turn to drive off, a couple of the trucks got stuck in the sand. Luckily there were a couple of tanks available and they managed to pull us out and then we just carried on.
“When we got there, you don’t think about the danger, you only think about that after. We were lucky.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here