I have spent the last week in Normandy, catching the tail-end of the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of D Day.
Europe was liberated fromNazism by an army drawn mainly from Britian and the USA but with contingents from most of the coutnries that now form the EU. The sense of gratitude that the French, expecially the Normans have for those allies is enormous and colours our relations with them.
The sense of the coming together of nations in times of joint peril was what inspired Robert Schuman, Alcide De Gasperi and Konrad Adenauer of France, Italy and Germany to form the European community that is now the EU.
Between 1870 and 1945, 75 years, there were three large and destructive European wars. In the 75 years since there have been none. In 1994, the 5Oth anniversary of D Day. I was present at the unveiling of a memorial in the Norman village where our holiday home is. It was to a Lancaster bomber crew, who were shot down and killed in the parish on 6 June. The names and family details of the crew were read out. They were all in their 20s, several the same age as our son was then and as the parents names and their home towns were read out, I realised that thier parents were of the same age as we were then when they lost their sons. That not only our son, but also his father had not been called up to fight for their country like their grandfathers and great grandfathers is due to the peace, harmony and unity between the European countries.
For this reason, if no other, I support remaining in the EU where countries work together is that my children and grand children may also live into their 70s without Europe wide conflict.