Heroes reunited

Second World War veterans from York, North and East Yorkshire will be given the chance to revisit battlefields and remember their brothers-in-arms through a new National Lottery initiative.

Heroes Return will help pay for old soldiers to visit the countries, battlefields and cemeteries where their courage helped defeat Hitler.

Cash from the lottery's good causes distributor, the New Opportunities Fund, in partnership with COBSEO (Confederation of British Service and Ex-Service Organisations), will also allow veterans' spouses and carers to accompany them, and war widows and widowers to make remembrance visits.

The multimillion-pound scheme is one of three National Lottery initiatives being launched under the title Veterans Reunited.

Another strand of the initiative will help today's schoolchildren remember the sacrifices made by the veterans to give them the freedom they now enjoy.

This project, Their Past - Your Future, gives schools the chance to learn more about the Second World War through a website, www.d-dayandbeyond.org, exhibitions and publications.

There will be competitions for schools with prizes of overseas and UK-based trips to accompany veterans' groups.

Dennis Bowen, of Scarcroft Hill, York, was 18 when he took part in the D-Day landings with the Prince of Wales's Own Regiment Of Yorkshire.

Now aged 78, he said he visited cemeteries seven times a year.

He said: "I fought in lots of places and I go back whenever I can. It's not painful to go back now, but I always think, what a loss.

"The things that always come back to me are the thing's I'd forgotten. I hope more people can go back to where they fought because of this scheme."

Eric Smith, 79, of Pocklington, joined up with 20 Service Flying School when he was 18. He said: "I think it's a very good idea. We've got to remember the sacrifices a lot of people made back then because it's largely been forgotten

hitherto."

Updated: 11:04 Monday, February 09, 2004