Millthorpe School was honoured to welcome York D-Day Veteran Ken Cooke into school for an inspirational talk with students, providing them with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear firsthand about his experiences during World War II.
The visit came about after Ken’s granddaughter, who works at Millthorpe, mentioned that her grandad was in Normandy for the 80th anniversary commemorations last year. Upon learning that this was local veteran, Ken Cooke, Assistant Principal and Teacher Adam Baybutt was eager to invite Ken to speak to the students.
Two-hundred and forty Year 9 students who have recently learned about D-Day as part of their history curriculum, were chosen to hear Ken’s talk.
To prepare for the talk, the students investigated other D-Day readings, including one from a diary of another D-Day Veteran, WM Christie, who is the great-great-grandfather of a current Year 9 student.
Ken, who turns 100 this year, captivated his audience with tales of being called up aged 18, being sent to basic training and arriving in Southampton on 4 June 1944, and realising he was about to take part in something monumental.
Ken landed at Gold Beach at 7.45am on 6 June 1944 and despite his young age and lack of training, he recalled a sense of excitement. He described the scene to be “like 1,000 fireworks’ nights all at once. I don’t know why I did it, but I just rested on the side and watched it all happen.” It was only when he learned of the tragic deaths of some of his friends, that the enormity and danger of the situation he found himself in began to sink in.
Ken later suffered a serious shrapnel wound and returned to Britain to recover. He later returned to action in Germany, where he was injured for a second time towards the end of the war.
Ken’s hour-long talk concluded to rapturous applause from the students who were deeply moved by the World War Two veteran’s first-hand account. Students from other year groups, who were not lucky enough to attend his talk, were invited to come along to the Main Hall at the end of the school day, and more than 80 students did so. They waited patiently to meet Ken, shake his hand, ask pertinent questions and even have a photo taken.
Ken left the students with a powerful message for the future: “I want you to promise me now that you won’t let what happened to me, happen to you. Can you promise me that?”
Millthorpe School’s Assistant Principal and Teacher of History, Adam Baybutt, said: “It is difficult to put into words just how fortunate and privileged we feel at being able to welcome Mr Cooke into our school. This is undoubtedly a highlight of my 17-year career at Millthorpe. The students were impeccable and listened to Ken’s talk with interest and complete respect.
“I was beyond proud of the number of students who came along after school to meet Ken and ask him questions. One Year 11 student, who was not at the talk, shook Ken’s hand and told him “I just had to come to meet you. You have my utmost respect. Thank you for everything that you did.”
“I want to extend my sincere thanks to Ken Cooke for providing this once in a lifetime opportunity for our students, for his generosity with his time, and for his words of encouragement and advice. This is a day that they, and I, will always remember, and I am truly grateful.”
After the talk, many students wrote letters of thanks to Ken. One student wrote: “I promise that my generation will never forget the sacrifice that you and your generation made.”
26 March 2025
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