D-Day 80th anniversary

On 6 June it will be 80 years since the Allies landed in Normandy to start the campaign to defeat Hitler and bring peace in Europe. 

There are today not many survivors from the campaign.

Unprecedented coordination between Allied nations, and the intensive planning of engineers, meteorologists, logisticians and countless more, led to a force from 13 countries approaching Normandy in a 5,000-vessel armada. In the early hours of D-Day, 24,000 paratroopers and glider-borne troops landed behind German lines to provide tactical support.

Portsmouth will host a major national commemorative event on Wednesday 5 June whilst on the actual day the Royal British Legion will host a Remembrance Service within the grounds of the National Memorial Arboretum near Lichfield, Staffordshire.

In France, The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, in partnership with the town of Bayeux, will host the annual Service of Thanksgiving at the Bayeux Cathedral on the evening of Wednesday 5 June followed by a vigil at the Bayeux War Cemetery during which 4,500 graves will be illuminated.

The British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer is the site of the UK National Commemorative Event on 6 June.  The Normandy Memorial contains the names of the 22,442 servicemen and women under British command who fell on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy in the summer of 1944.

Normandy veterans, families of the fallen, descendants of Normandy veterans, and members of the public are welcome at all events.

Amongst the many events planned Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambition will be at sea off the coast of Normandy on Thursday 6 June with an expert commentator.   

www.dday-overlord.com/en/normandy/commemorations/2024/agenda#google_vignette

www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/remembrance/remembrance-events/d-day

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