WORLD War Two veterans from west Wales were feted at a special event at Aberporth on Sunday - the 77th anniversary of D Day.

The six veterans – all now in their mid to late nineties – included fellow ex-Lancaster bomber crewmen Stan Bartlett, 96, from Aberporth and 99-year-old John Martin, from Tanygroes, who had never previously met.

Stan joined the RAF as a flight engineer at the end of the war, John - a wireless operator - having been taken prisoner after being shot down during a raid over Berlin in 1944.

The event at the Penrallt Hotel was organised by Age Cymru Dyfed.

Lord Lieutenant of Dyfed, Sara Edwards, one of the special invited guests, thanked the veterans as the Queen’s representative.

“You have been a resilient generation and have so much to teach us,” she told them. “It is with enormous humility that we thank you for all you did.”

As well as Stan and John, the veterans included Ted Owens and Dennis Tidswell from Pembroke Dock, Tony Bird from Freshwater East, and Bill Needham, from Aberporth.

Age Cymru Dyfed’s veterans project manager Hugh Morgan joked that west Wales should be rechristened 'D Day Corner'.

“You are our greatest generation and it is a privilege to share this day with you,” he said.

The veterans’ stories have been gathered under the umbrella of the West Wales Veterans Archive which is shared on the People’s Collection Wales in the National Library of Wales.

The event was also attended by youngsters from Cardigan Sea Scouts and Hayley Edwards from the Armed Forces Covenant along with the band of the Royal British Legion (Llanelli branch).