SOUTH Devon Normandy veterans met up with Hollywood actor and comedian Eddie Izzard to commemorate the men and women who sacrificed their lives on D-Day.

Hundreds of veterans marched past the Cenotaph in London, marking 65 years since the Normandy invasion.

With many veterans now in their 80s and 90s, the high-profile event is likely to be the last of its kind.

Eddie Izzard, who has starred in such films as Valkyrie and Oceans Thirteen, was made an honorary member of the Normandy Veterans' Association.

He received the honour after donating £100,000 to the association, enabling members to visit Normandy earlier this month as part of the 65th anniversary.

The popular comic also paid for veterans all over the country to be bussed in to take part in the London event.

Ken Sturdy, chairman of the South Devon NVA, said: "Eddie Izzard is quite a guy. He said he was honoured to make our acquaintance.

"He called us all heroes. That was very kind, but we thought to call us that was stretching things a bit far.

"He contributed a substantial amount of money to the association because there had been little response from the Government.

"In London he mixed with us all and when we went along to the Clarence for a beer he came and had one with us."

Peter Hodge, general secretary of the NVA, also paid tribute to Eddie Izzard, saying he flew in especially from America for the Whitehall event.

He added: "He's been so good to our members. He invited me to lunch in London recently and gave us the £100,000. It was staggering.

"After the Whitehall commemoration, he flew back to America on Monday."

Izzard marched with the veterans in Whitehall, their heads held high, in the high temperatures of London.

They halted for the Last Post and then they observed a minute's silence, before the standards were raised during the Reveille.

Mr Sturdy added: "The whole day was great. I suppose it was a kind of swan song. It'll be the last one of its kind because our members are all getting older.

"People lined both sides of Whitehall to see the march.

"It was very enjoyable, but on the way back, near Newbury, our coach broke down.

"A mechanic got us going, then later the coach started stuttering. The driver managed to limp along to Newton Abbot, where another coach was waiting.

"So it was a long day, about 16 hours, but it was well worth it. There were some pupils from Teign School with us.

"They laid a wreath at the Cenotaph, and were so well behaved.

"I think they also enjoyed themselves."