The D-Day veteran whose story of heroism brought Queen Camilla to tears joined the navy at just 17 years old to ‘do his bit for King and Country’, his family have revealed.
Since the end of hostilities Eric Bateman has rarely spoken about the terrible events of June 1944 and his part in the historic D-Day landings in Normandy.
But his family have given an insight into the bravery that inspired Eric to stand up in Portsmouth yesterday and remember the fallen heroes of the Allied invasion of Europe 80 years ago.
‘Eric was in the Home Guard as a teenager and he was determined to do his bit for King and Country as soon as he was old enough,’ his daughter-in-law Sylvia Bateman told .
‘His friend Fred had joined up first, because he was older than Eric and he went into the army.
‘But Eric didn’t want to ‘square bash’ – march all day – so he joined up with the navy. He was only 17 and a half.
‘Later on, Fred transferred to the navy, and they were fought together. Eric was an able seaman and gunner on HMS Erebus. He operated one of the big guns.
‘He took part in D-Day, but he has never really told us what happened. But we know that his friend Fred was killed.
‘Fred was from Bromley, like Eric. They were pals.’
Born in 1915 on a small holding farm in the hills of the North Downs, in Bromley, Eric, lost his mother at a young age. His father Bill was a farmer.
In the months after D-Day Eric was moved half-way across the world as the battle against Imperial Japan intensified.
‘After D-Day Eric was transferred ships from HMS Erebus to HMS Belfast and he went to the Pacific,’ Sylvia, 73, revealed.
‘He went to the Middle East, and Japan.
‘He helped to repatriate British and Allied POWs who had been released. He brought a lot of our boys who had been captured in the fall of Singapore home.’
After the war Eric trained as a motor mechanic and continued to work in the motor industry, working as a service manager for a Mercedes Benz car dealership.
Sylvia explained: ‘After the war he trained as a motor mechanic. He always liked motors, anything mechanical, wood working. He’s very good with his hands.
D-Day veteran Eric Bateman took to the stage in Portsmouth today accompanied by his two great-granddaughters.
The war hero, who served on HMS Erebus alongside an American fleet on their way to Utah beach, told the crowd: ‘There were ships as far as you could see, you almost walk across the Channel.
‘I’m lucky to be here 80 years later with two of my great-grandchildren. So many men and women, including my dear friend Fred, joined up with me but unfortunately never made it.
‘I’m proud to be here today to all of them and to make sure they will always be remembered.’
His great-granddaughters then take the microphone to thank all the soldiers of the Normandy landings.
‘Without them, we wouldn’t have the freedoms we enjoy today. We will never forget. Thank you,’ they say.
‘Eric was a car mechanic and later a service manager for a Mercedes dealership.
He also found love.
‘After the war Eric, left Eric the navy and married his sweet-heart Pauline,’ his son Derek Bateman, who is known as Rick, explained.
‘She is also from Bromley and had been introduced through a friend.
‘They married in 1948. They have been married for 76 years now.
‘They had two children, me and my sister Susan.
Susan had a daughter Lucy, and she has two girls, his grand-daughters.
‘Eric and Pauline now live in Edenbridge in Kent.’
Rick, 74, a retired chauffeur, added: ‘We are very proud of Dad. He does not talk a lot about what happened during the war.
‘But they are staying on the south coast tonight, as part of the D-Day celebrations.’
Queen Camilla shared a sweet moment with Eric earlier yesterday as he moved her to tears with his tragic tale of how he lost his best friend on the beaches of Normandy.
Tears welled up in the Queen’s eyes as former Royal Navy serviceman recalled his experience on Utah beach – while King Charles also appeared visibly moved.
Speaking to him after the event, Camilla complimented him on how ‘smart and young’ he was looking, which he jokingly attributed to his wife helping him ‘keep fit’.
As the pair touchingly spoke about Mr Bateman’s memories from that fateful day.
Mr Bateman, who served on the warship HMS Erebus, described how you could ‘walk across the Channel’ because there were so many boats involved in the invasion.
And paying tribute to his fallen comrades, he said: ‘So many men and women, including my dear friend Fred, joined up with me but unfortunately never made it.’
Charles and Camilla joined the Prince of Wales, leading UK politicians and veterans at a major event in Portsmouth, where the King gave his first public speech since being diagnosed with cancer.
He told the crowd: ‘The stories of courage, resilience and solidarity we have heard today and throughout our lives cannot fail to move us, to inspire us and to remind us of what we owe to that great wartime generation.’
Charles, who received a standing ovation as he walked onto the stage accompanied by Queen Camilla, is understood to have been ‘adamant’ he would attend the commemorations as he continues his recovery from cancer.
At the Portsmouth commemorations – hosted by Dame Helen Mirren – William read an extract from the diary of Captain Alastair Bannerman, a soldier who was part of D-Day, addressed to his wife on the morning of the landings.
D-Day veteran Eric Bateman served on board HMS Erebus, a Royal Navy warship.
Launched in 1915, HMS Erebus entered active service a year later.
One of its first major missions was a bombardment of Belgian ports where enemy warships were based, which led to the ship being seriously damaged.
It was later refitted and entered active service again following the outbreak of the Second World War.
During the Normandy landings of June 6, 1944 it accompanied American troops as they landed on Sword Beach – bombarding the German batteries of Barfleur and La Pernelle.
In the summer of 1944 it made its way to Le Havre to support invading Allied forces, before performing another tour of duty in Holland.
HMS Erebus was retired after the end of WWII and scrapped in July 1946.
He told the flag-waving crowd he was ‘deeply honoured’ to be part of proceedings on Southsea Common and said ‘we will always remember those who served’.
Delivering his speech to the crowd, the King said: ‘The stories of courage, resilience and solidarity which you have heard today and throughout our lives cannot fail to move us, to inspire us and to remind us of what we owe to that great wartime generation, now tragically dwindling to so few.
‘It is our privilege to hear that testimony, but our role is not purely passive. It is our duty to ensure that we and future generations do not forget their service and their sacrifice in replacing tyranny with freedom.’
Charles faced breezy conditions on stage as he spoke, with his speech notes blowing around in his hand.
In his programme notes for the event, the King spoke of his ‘profound admiration and respect’ for those who took part in D-Day, adding: ‘It remains our solemn duty to continue to honour the outstanding gallantry, service and sacrifice of those who took part in that perilous mission.’
D-Day veterans, armed forces personnel and local schoolchildren were among the guests at the star-studded event held on Southsea Common in Portsmouth.
The Hampshire port city was a major staging post for the key Second World War battle, having been the base for the vessels and troops heading to Sword Beach, and nearby Southwick was the headquarters for Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight Eisenhower, who led the Operation Overlord planning.
The commemoration, which took place on a specially erected stage, was kicked off with a flypast by Dakota aircraft before host Dame Helen Mirren took to the stage to narrate a history of how D-Day unfolded and affected those who took part.
The event featured veterans reading dramatic accounts from the invasion as well as wartime songs performed by EastEnders star Emma Barton, American actress Marisha Wallace and Call The Midwife’s Helen George.
Music was also provided by the Royal Marines Drummers.
The King and Queen took to the stage for Charles to give a reading followed later in proceedings by Rishi Sunak.
Readings were also given by Jonny Weldon from The Outlaws and Kate Phillips from Peaky Blinders as well as Iain Glen from Game Of Thrones, Leonie Elliott, also from Call The Midwife, Anjli Mohindra from Bodyguard and Julian Ovenden from Downton Abbey.
The show concluded with a gun salute from the frigate HMS St Albans, which sailed past in the Solent, and a rendition of the national anthem before a flypast by the Red Arrows and Typhoon jets.
I am deeply honoured to join you today to recognise the bravery of all of those like John Haddock who participated in the D-Day landings, the start of the liberation of France and Europe, that led to victory of the Allied Powers.
Our guests of honour today are those veterans from the Normandy landing, that came from across our nation and from all walks of life to join in the fight against tyranny. Many of those that took up arms had never seen combat before, some were still only in their teens.
In their letters and diaries we see their great strength.
This is an extract from a letter by Captain Alastair Bannerman of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, addressed to his wife and written in his diary on the morning of D-Day:
It is now 03.00 hours in the morning and I have just been up to the bridge. It is rather light because the moon is shining, though heavy clouds cover her. One can see the row of small ships and of darker balloons silhouetted in front and behind us against the grey sea.
You, my angel, sleep gently in the nursery, I hope. Your thoughts have helped me so much. They have given me real strength. I can imagine how you listen to the news at 9 o’clock and think of me with love. I hope that Andrew’s golden head rests gently and quietly upon his small pillow and that Richard is nice and comfortable lying in his narrow little carry-cot.
A long line of flares hangs over Cherbourg, or I suppose it is Cherbourg, and a few anti-aircraft tracer shots go up in the air above the immediate front line. Funny to imagine that there Germans run around their guns. I would like to know what they are thinking. The whole Channel between us and Cherbourg is filled with little ships which all quietly and efficiently sail towards France. The British, Canadian and American fighting forces on the war-path.
I do not believe that I can now write for very long. We can now see the French coast and very soon we will have to play our part.
I must go now and look for the landing markings with my binoculars to ascertain our landing points. So, my darling, on we go! I know that you are with me. Au revoir, God bless, I love you!
Captain Bannerman survived the landings and the war, being taken prisoner and returning home to his wife and sons in April the next year. Too many never returned. They remain in ‘some corner of a foreign field that is forever England.’
We will always remember those who served and those who waved them off. The mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters who watched their loved ones go into battle, unsure if they would ever return.
Today we remember the bravery of those who crossed this sea to liberate Europe. Those who ensured that Operation Overlord was a success. And those who waited for their safe return.
Mr Sunak read an address by Field Marshal Montgomery, which was delivered to the troops ahead of the D-Day landings.
The Prime Minister read out the short address which began: ‘The time has come to deal the enemy a terrific blow in Western Europe. The blow will be struck by the combined sea, land and air forces of the Allies together constituting one great allied team, under the supreme command of General Eisenhower.’
It continued: ‘To us is given the honour of striking a blow for freedom which will live in history; and in the better days that lie ahead men will speak with pride of our doings. We have a great and a righteous cause.’
Prince William took centre stage at the event by making the opening address, in which he spoke of the families who ‘watched their loved ones go into battle’ as they left for the largest seaborne invasion in history in June 1944.
Addressing the crowd at Southsea Common, William said: ‘We will always remember those who served and those who waved them off.
‘The mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters who watched their loved ones go into battle, unsure if they would ever return.
‘Today we remember the bravery of those who crossed this sea to liberate Europe. Those who ensured that Operation Overlord was a success. And those who waited for their safe return.’
He said those who fought on D-Day ‘came from across our nation and from all walks of life to join in the fight against tyranny’.
‘Many of those that took up arms had never seen combat before, some were still only in their teens,’ he added.
The prince read a moving and poetic letter by Captain Alastair Bannerman of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, written in his diary at 3am on the morning of D-Day, just hours before the landings, and addressed to his wife.
It spoke of the moon shining though heavy clouds and the ‘row of small ships and of darker balloons silhouetted in front and behind us against the grey sea’.
Captain Bannerman thought of his wife and two young sons asleep in their nursery – and photographs of the soldier and his blond-haired children were shown on the screen behind William as he read the words.
”I can imagine how you listen to the news at 9 o’clock and think of me with love. I hope that Andrew’s golden head rests gently and quietly upon his small pillow and that Richard is nice and comfortable lying in his narrow little carry-cot’,’ the prince said.
William continued: ”The whole Channel between us and Cherbourg is filled with little ships which all quietly and efficiently sail towards France.
”The British, Canadian and American fighting forces on the war-path.
”I do not believe that I can now write for very long. We can now see the French coast and very soon we will have to play our part.
”I must go now and look for the landing markings with my binoculars to ascertain our landing points. So, my darling, on we go! I know that you are with me. Au revoir, God bless, I love you!”
William shared how Captain Bannerman survived the landings and the war, was taken prisoner, but returned home to his wife and sons in April the next year.
He added, quoting Rupert Brooke’s famous war poem The Soldier: ‘Too many never returned. They remain in ‘some corner of a foreign field that is forever England’.’
The prince said he was ‘deeply honoured’ to join the commemoration to recognise the bravery of those who took part in the landings.
William delivered his speech before the arrival of the King and Queen, with Charles also making his own address.
During the service, he sat between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Defence Secretary Grant Shapps.
The prince was wearing his Golden Jubilee, Diamond Jubilee, Platinum Jubilee and Coronation medals and his Great Master of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath neck order.
Dame Helen Mirren formerly introduced the event just after 11am by addressing the assembled veterans, saying: ‘The presence today of some of those who contributed to that remarkable venture is an extraordinary privilege.
‘Your bravery remains as inspiring now as it was eight decades ago. Thank you.’
The commemorations in Portsmouth opened with a musical performance and a flypast of two historic Dakota military transport aircraft, widely used by the Allies during the Second World War.
Charles and Queen Camilla will join the Ministry of Defence and Royal British Legion’s commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer today.
Charles is said to have been determined to mark the landmark anniversary given it will be the last event of its kind that D-Day veterans will be able to witness.
This has been aided by a good recovery that has allowed his public duties to be brought forward by ‘about a month’, a source told The Times.
Meanwhile, William will attend the Canadian ceremony at Juno Beach Centre at Courseulles-sur-Mer hosted by the Canadian government, alongside veterans and Canadian armed forces personnel.
The Prince of Wales will then attend the international commemorative ceremony at Omaha Beach, Saint Laurent sur Mer, later on June 6 alongside 25 heads of state and veterans from around the world.
William took his place in the royal box yesterday alongside military veterans shortly after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
Some veterans will attend two days of remembrance events in Portsmouth to mark the historic milestone.
Over the course of two days, the King, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a slew of other dignitaries, and-most importantly-those who fought on the beaches in 1944 will come together to remember the battle that became the turning point towards an Allied victory.
However, the proceedings have already begun for dozens of other Second World War veterans.
Yesterday, a slew of former D-Day soldiers boarded a ferry to make the journey from Portsmouth to Normandy once again, retracing their steps 80 years ago.
The morning will culminate in a flypast by the Royal Air Force Red Arrows.
The Prime Minister will then deliver a reading to the crowds and meet with veterans to hear their D-Day stories to mark the occasion.
In the afternoon, tributes will move to the beaches of Normandy, where hundreds of allied defence personnel will parachute into a historic D-Day drop zone to commemorate the airborne invasion of 80 years ago.
The Royal British Legion will host a commemoration service at Bayeux War Cemetery before the Ministry of Defence and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission host a joint UK-France thanksgiving service at Bayeux Cathedral.
Tonight, as the sun sets, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Bayeux War Cemetery will light up in honour of those who fought on the beaches. The light show will be streamed live on the BBC so all can witness the occasion.
On Thursday – the 80th anniversary of D-Day – commemorations will begin in Normandy at 7.25am, the same time the beach invasion began in 1944.
A military piper will land on the beaches of Arromanches-les-Bains in a Royal Marines landing craft and begin playing a lament in tribute to those who led the beach landings.
The official British commemoration for the 80th anniversary of D-Day will take place at the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer, where the King will join French President Emmanuel Macron and Mr Sunak.
Charles and Camilla hosted four D-Day veterans at Buckingham Palace yesterday, hearing moving personal stories and seeing their poignant keepsakes.
Football boots carried on the straps of a military backpack, dog tags still bearing blood, and photos of a much cherished wife were among the mementoes shared with Charles and Camilla.
Charles, in turn, read aloud from his grandfather’s handwritten diary, recounting George VI’s D-Day entry about the breaking news of the ‘successful landings’ in June 1944.
The special meeting was filmed and will be broadcast as part of BBC One’s D-Day 80: Tribute to The Fallen on June 5.