TAXI CHARITY FOR MILITARY VETERANS

During our recent visit to Normandy in June for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, we were joined for lunch by John Maguire from BBC Breakfast. He spoke with WWII veterans, Peter Smoothy and Marie Scott, as well as Taxi Charity vice chairman, Paul Cook. This is his report...

On Thursday 31 August 2023, BBC Breakfast joined Taxi Charity volunteer cab drivers and war veterans at Harwich to find out more about their trip to the Netherlands for the annual Wandeltocht Airborne March.

On Sunday 3 September, the BBC’s Foreign Correspondent, Anna Holligan, met the Taxi Charity for their visit to Oosterbeek Cemetery. She interviewed WWII veteran Don Turrell and his friend, 27-year-old Callum Reid, about the wonderful bond they share. She also spoke with John Poyner who was visiting his cousin’s grave for the first time, and she filmed a moving moment when WWII D-Day veteran, Bill Gladden, sang We’ll Meet Again.

On 4 May 2023, during their trip to the Netherlands for Dutch Liberation, Taxi Charity volunteers and veterans had lunch at the National Liberation Museum in Groesbeek. They were joined at the museum by Josephine van der Erve, a journalist for a Dutch TV news broadcaster, WNL. Josephine interviewed Market Garden veteran Geoff Roberts and WWII Bomber Command veteran Robbie Hall about their experiences during WWII and what advice they would give to young people.

A huge thank you for our police escort from the Hook of Holland to Wageningen last Wednesday, and then back again on Saturday. As usual when we travel to the Netherlands for the Liberation commemorations, these journeys, with our precious veterans on board, go wonderfully smoothly thanks to the police who close the roads to allow our taxis to travel in convoy.

Last year, during our visit to Pegasus Museum, one of our volunteer cab drivers played Artie Shaw from his cab especially for WWII veteran, Marie Scott, who transmitted messages to and from the beaches on D-Day. Her reaction was wonderful! Thank you to her daughter Gill for sharing this magic moment.

On 6 March 2023, the Taxi Charity held a special event at the RAF Club to mark International Women’s Day. Former Sky and CNBC Europe main anchor, Hannah O’Sullivan, from Host Media Communications, hosted an enlightening Q&A with veterans, Mildred Schutz and Marie Scott. Mildred served with the Special Operations Executive, and Marie, as a WREN, transmitted messages to and from the beaches on D-Day. They both spoke to Hannah about their experiences during WWII. Hannah then spoke with guests from the Netherlands: Hiljte Van Eck who was awarded a BEM for her work with veterans; Sophie ter Horst, daughter of the Angel of Arnhem; and Els Schiltmans from the Dutch Army Recovery and Identification Unit.

Thanks to a campaign launched by the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans in June 2022 to find the young girl Reg had shared his food with in Normandy in 1944, they have finally been reunited. Film courtesy of Emma Newton