To mark 70 years since the D-Day landings in Normandy, Explore York Libraries and Archives is collecting memories from members of the York Normandy Veterans Association, as part of the York: Gateway to History project, which has been supported with a £1,574,200 Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant.

In June, the York Veterans joined others from across the country to gather in Normandy and attend memorial services for those lost during the Second World War. The visit brought back memories of friends and family lost, but it also sparked concern about their wartime archive collections and the legacy they leave behind.

To secure their archive and memories, Sarah Tester, Community Collections and Outreach Archivist at Explore, working with Nick Beilby, a representative of the Normandy Veterans Association, and volunteers from the University of York, is leading a project to capture the stories of the veterans through their archive collections before they pass out of living memory.

The archives of the veterans and that of the Normandy Veterans Association York Branch include letters, photographs and medals which tell unique personal stories of life during the Second World War. These collections will be made accessible to the public for the first time at York Explore library from mid 2015.

Fiona Williams, Chief Executive of Explore Libraries and Archives, said: “This project tells the story of local veterans from the Second World War. We are honoured to be working with them in this unique way and all the information will be available to view once York Explore reopens. Our Gateway to History project aims to tell the history of York from a community-led perspective.”

Nick Beilby, also a fundraiser for the Association, said: “The brave men of the Normandy Veterans Association are now receiving the recognition that they richly deserve. By working with these wonderful people and engaging in `living history` their lives and achievements will be preserved for future generations who will understand how their deeds have helped shape the world that we now live in.”