Before we go in camera, I would like to remind the committee or colleagues that last weekend, May 18 to be exact, marked the 69th anniversary of the battle of Monte Cassino. From January 17 to May 18, the allied troops lost over 55,000 troops including British, Canadian, French, and Polish.
I had the chance to be at the ceremony where there were four veterans in their mid-nineties and who were still able to walk. I was very honoured to be in their presence.