A York D-Day veteran joined city leaders and figures from across the railway industry for a Remembrance Day service honouring those who fought for their country.

Ken Cooke laid a wreath at the newly cleaned North Eastern Railway War Memorial, in Station Rise, this morning (Monday, November 11).

Ken Cooke on his way to the North Eastern Railway War Memorial, in Station Rise, to lay his wreath on Monday (November 11)Ken Cooke on his way to the North Eastern Railway War Memorial, in Station Rise, to lay his wreath on Monday (November 11) (Image: Dylan Connell) The 99-year-old told The Press the service at the century-old monument – a tribute to the more than 2,700 railway workers who died during both world wars – “went very well”.

Railway chaplain Helen Bartlett, who led the service, said there will now be an annual Remembrance Day event at the monument.

A veteran lays a wreath at the North Eastern Railway War Memorial, in Station Rise, on Monday (November 11)A veteran lays a wreath at the North Eastern Railway War Memorial, in Station Rise, on Monday (November 11) (Image: Dylan Connell) During the service, wreaths were laid for fallen North Eastern Railway workers who died between 1914-1918 and 1939-1945 by senior figures from the railway industry, the Lord Mayor of York, veterans – including Ken – and schoolchildren from St Paul's CE Primary School.

Ken praised Network Rail, which is responsible for the monument, for having the memorial cleaned but said it was long overdue.

D-day veteran Ken Cooke in front of the North Eastern Railway War MemorialD-day veteran Ken Cooke in front of the North Eastern Railway War Memorial (Image: Dylan Connell) “Now they’ve cleaned it up, it makes it look all the better for what we’ve done today,” he said. “They’ve done a really good job.

“They didn’t have to do a really good job if they [cleaned the monument] every two or three years. It was absolutely filthy before but now it looks really good.”

Ken said he first saw the newly cleaned monument on Sunday after attending the Remembrance service in City War Memorial where he laid a wreath.

D-Day veteran recalls landing in Normandy

This year’s Remembrance events come 80 years after the Normandy landings.

“It’s gone quick,” said Ken, who was a young private with the Green Howards when he landed at Gold Beach on June 6, 1944.

When he hears of that day, he said: “It clicks and then I go back.

A choir sings during the Remembrance service at the North Eastern Railway War Memorial on Monday (November 11)A choir sings during the Remembrance service at the North Eastern Railway War Memorial on Monday (November 11) (Image: Dylan Connell) “Now and again you get one or two flashbacks.”

Ken’s feelings on the day were not fear, however.

He said he was excited by the new experience.

The Lord Mayor of York, Cllr Margaret Wells, laying a wreath during the Remembrance service at the North Eastern Railway War Memorial on Monday (November 11)The Lord Mayor of York, Cllr Margaret Wells, laying a wreath during the Remembrance service at the North Eastern Railway War Memorial on Monday (November 11) (Image: Dylan Connell) “As an 18-year-old, I’d never been on a ship before, never been on a beach,” he said. “A lot of the lads who were on the invasion, they had an awful experience of it.

“I hadn’t had that because, as an 18-year-old, everything was new.”

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Ken gives talks at schools about his time in the war and when recalling the Normandy landings he said he compares the experience to how it feels to go on holiday abroad for the first time.

“That’s the feeling I had on the invasions,” he said, adding: “I was leaning over the sides of the battle craft watching the fireworks.”

Ken is determined to educate future generations about the war, warning them of its horrors.

“We tell them it’s up to them now to make sure what we went through never happens again,” he said.