Grandson of the man who orchestrated D-Day sails in to visit Portsmouth

Grandson David Eisenhower, was visiting the city as part of a cruise which was also taking in other significant sites from D-Day.

David said: ‘This has been a great opportunity to learn more about the European war and D-Day. The efforts and events taking place here in Portsmouth play a significant role in keeping this important part of history alive. I have enjoyed my time in the city and some of my favourite D-Day sites are located here.’

As commander of the allied forces, his grandfather played a pivotal role in orchestrating Operation Overload and the successful invasion of German occupied Western Europe.

David said: ‘He didn’t speak about D-Day very often and I always had to be careful when raising it in discussion. However growing up as a child I was engulfed by connections to the war. General Montgomery was a frequent visitor to the farm and in 1957 Queen Elizabeth brought a gift of a glass display depicting the D-Day landings.’

With many US and Canadian visitors taking part in the recent commemorations, David also spoke of the strong connections evoked by D-Day across the Atlantic.

‘For the 50th anniversary I was a correspondent working for CBS News. There was a real interest in the US and I said at the time that I expected the sites of D-Day to become a national pilgrimage for many US citizens,’ said David.

It is a journey he hopes to continue for many years to come.

‘Whenever I think of D-Day I think of Portsmouth,’ he added.