For Marie Scott, the 75th anniversary of D-Day has become an even more special year as she has been awarded the highest French decoration - The Legion Of Honour - for the part she played working in Fort Southwick, Portsmouth, listening and collating the Operation Overlord messages.
In 1944, 17-year-old Marie worked on the switchboard at Fort Southwick, and listened to the messages co-ordinating and updating Operation Neptune and the events unfolding on Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword – the code names for the beaches on D-Day.
This summer, Marie Scott will travel with the Taxi Charity to Normandy with a group of 30 WWII veterans to remember the events of D-Day and the comrades they lost. The Legion of Honour will be officially presented by a French General to Marie at the Memorial Pegasus Museum on 5 June 2019.
As part of the celebrations, on 11 April, Marie will visit Southwick House, in Portsmouth with the Taxi Charity and a group of veterans.
Working on the switchboard in Fort Southwick, Marie would pass messages from the continent to the leaders of Operation Overlord, General Eisenhower and Field Marshall Montgomery. One of her most vivid memories is that when the beaches transmitted she could hear the gunfire.
92-year-old Marie Scott, said: "I am truly overwhelmed to receive the Legion of Honour for the part we played in the D-Day Landings. Very few women have received this medal and it is a true honour. Being officially presented with the medal at the Pegasus Museum on 5 June surrounded by a group of WWII veterans will be a very moving experience."
About the Taxi Charity
The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans was formed in Fulham in 1948, to work for the benefit, comfort and enjoyment of military veterans and arranges many trips every year for veterans from all conflicts.
The charity offers international trips to Holland, Belgium and France, UK day trips to concerts or museums, transport to attend fundraising events, as well as special days out to catch up with friends and comrades.
To fund and facilitate these outings, the charity is wholly reliant on generous donations from members of the public, businesses and trusts and the amazing group of London licensed taxi drivers who offer their time and vehicles free.
About the Legion of Honour
The Legion of Honour is the highest French decoration and one of the most famous in the world. For two hundred years, it has been presented on behalf of the Head of State to reward excellent civil or military conduct.