World War II Veterans Tony Bird and Duncan Hilling from Pembrokeshire joined other Welsh veterans at a unique gathering to celebrate ‘Our Greatest Generation 1939-45’ recently.

Held at Myddfai Community Hall, Carmarthenshire, it was organised by the Age Cymru Dyfed Veterans Team who are recording veterans for a Welsh digital archive.

Tony, of Freshwater East, joined the Royal Navy in 1942 and served on a destroyer on convoy escort duties before beginning pilot training.

This was cut short with a posting to a corvette which on D-Day in June 1944 supported the Normandy landings. He ended the war in the Far East.

Duncan, of Saundersfoot, was called up to the RAF in 1944 for aircrew training but was transferred to the Army. He became a Bren Gun Carrier driver in the Royal Welch Fusiliers and in January 1945 was posted to India.

At war’s end Duncan was among the advance occupation party in Hiroshima, only weeks after the atomic bomb was dropped on that city.

Joining them were RAF veterans of more recent times, Trevor Clark and Cliff Robinson, from the Volunteer Team at Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre.

Another Pembrokeshire connection was through Greg Lewis, producer of ITV’s ‘Greatest Generation’ who recalled his connections and filming with veterans.

Greg, originally from Saundersfoot, began his journalistic career in Pembrokeshire and has interviewed many military veterans.

One of his memorable programmes was the three-part ITV series featuring D-Day Veteran Royal Marine Ted Owens, of Pembroke Dock, who died earlier this year.