On Tuesday 4th June at 08:00, 25 D-Day veterans departed by ferry from Free Spirit’s closest city – Portsmouth – to France alongside a flotilla of vintage warships. These included Royal Navy patrol boats and WWII-era motor gunboat 81. Together, they were off to attend commemorations in Normandy with a commemorative torch for a vigil at Bayeux (on Wednesday).
By 16:00 that afternoon, more veterans graced the waves from Portsmouth to Normandy to mark the 80th Anniversary of D-Day that week. Like many trips to Northern Europe, The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans assisted this group of veterans. Plus, our specialist travel insurance for veterans. The Free Spirit policy covered 67 people, including the veterans (three over 100 and several that will be 100 by the end of 2024). Plus, their taxi drivers, careers, and medical professionals.
Some say it’ll be the last time WWII veterans will embark on a trip of this scale to honour the fallen. However, at Free Spirit, we believe that whatever your age, medical condition or disability travel can transport you away to a special place with friends and family – whatever the occasion may be.
Below is a Trustpilot review from one of the organisers from The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, Richard Goodwin.
A quote from our Customer Sales Assistant Jan:
‘I’m sure that attending the commemorations for the 80th Anniversary of D-Day is going to be a very difficult and proud trip for these brave men and women. Mary and I accompanied this group there, back in 2017 (there were over 300 at that time) and I know it pulled at our heartstrings then’.
How has Free Spirit assisted veterans before?
WW2 veterans across the UK often go on trips to catch up with comrades. They go to concerts, fundraising events, and commemoration ceremonies held in Holland, Belgium, and France. To do so they receive help from The Taxi Charity For Military Veterans.
One commemoration ceremony, which has been held every year since 1945 is the Liberation of Arnhem in the Netherlands. From September 17th– 26th, the people of Arnhem commemorate the allied Polish and British soldiers on the first Friday of this period, who fell during the Battle of Arnhem. Together, they meet at the foot of John Frost Bridge.
In 2015, 120 veterans wanted to travel from London to the Netherlands, for the 70th commemoration ceremony. They also needed travel insurance to attend, which Free Spirit was happy to provide.
The problem was, it would be a challenge to provide the WW2 veterans with a “one size fits all” standard policy. This was because 100 of the veterans were over 90 (one is 97) and each had varying medical conditions.
Therefore, Free Spirit stepped outside of the usual medical screening ‘box’ to provide the Taxi Charity with a tailor-made policy. The policy included blanket cover for the medical risks of the travelling group, from London to Arnhem and back again.
Taking an innovative approach to travel insurance, ensured all the veteran’s committee members, carers, drivers, medical support team members, and guests, were each delighted to attend the historical observance.
Learn more about the Taxi Charity.
View photos from the veteran’s trip.
Free Spirit’s Customer Service Manager explained: “It would have been an impossible task to medically screen each person. Providing insurance wasn’t just about age and medical risks. It was about giving the veterans the peace of mind, that should something happen to them on their trip, they would be covered.”
In 2017, Free Spirit provided specialist cover for the charity’s trip to Normandy again. This time, 306 veterans’ committee members, carers, drivers, medical support team members, and guests attended a remembrance service held at the Pegasus Bridge Museum. The trip also included visits to Bayeux and the beach at Arromanches. Our Customer Service Manager also joined them.
Today the charity continues to organise trips across the UK and northwest Europe to honour the fallen with Free Spirit’s Specialist Travel Insurance for Veterans.
Become a partner or tell us about a charity that has helped you
Free Spirit supports and works alongside different charities across the UK. Some have become our partners and we provide specialist travel insurance to their customers/members. To view all the charities we support, visit our charities page.
Or, if you are passionate about a charity that has made a difference in your life or to someone you know, tell us about them by contacting our friendly team.
If you would like to become a partner/affiliate visit our partner page.