The three decorated ex-servicemen will be given VIP treatment by Wightlink Ferries at the start of their trip to France to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
As part of its support, Wightlink provides discounted travel and helps to promote the many achievements and events of its beneficiaries through its social media pages
Young Ellis had captured the hearts of everyone at Wightlink so was offered to be VIP ‘Captain for the Day’ on the retiring ferry, St Cecilia, last week.
During her time in the Solent, St Cecilia was used as a filming location for the BBC TV children’s programme Grange Hill and the French film, A Loving Father, starring Gérard Depardieu.
The latest incident is the third failure of an engine resulting in a fire on Wight Sky over the last 16 months. Wightlink pledge to resolve the problems customers have experienced.
The ferry has been withdrawn from the route as engineers from Wightlink, the engine manufacturer and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) continue to investigate what caused the engine failure.
Had the Wightlink crew not acted as swiftly as they had, it is likely the man would have drowned. They have been honoured for their bravery and quick thinking.
Ferry customers and staff were given the chance to discover their vital signs through a 60 second ‘selfie’ developed by scientists at the Universities of Portsmouth and Bournemouth in collaboration with researchers and clinicians at Portsmouth Hospitals Trust.