On Thursday, June 6 the nation will come together to remember the tens of thousands of allied forces who gave service on D-DAY eighty years ago and helped secure the peace we in the UK enjoy today.
From early morning when the sun rises to evening as night descends, church bells will ring out, special flags will be flown, schoolchildren will learn stories about their great grandparents, town criers will proclaim the victory, the haunting sound of bagpipes will fill the air and, in a final gesture of homage, beacons and Lamp Lights of Peace will be lit to signify the light that emerged from the dreadful darkness of war.
Mayor of Patchway, Cllr Dayley Lawrence will be joining hundreds of others wanting to remember the brave men and women who took part, not only from our country, but from America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Norway, Greece, France, Czechoslovakia, Rhodesia and Poland.
Patchway Town Council will commemorate this moment with a Beacon Lighting Ceremony at the BMX Track, Waterside Drive from 6.00pm – 9.15pm and including live music from the D Day Dollies, local stalls, fish and chips and a military vehicle on show
Bruno Peek CVO OBE OPR Pageantmaster of D-Day80 and of the 80-day countdown to June 6, 2024, says; “In 1944 Allied forces mounted the largest amphibious invasion the world has ever witnessed. Operation Overlord, D-Day, saw over 5,000 ships and landing craft set down more than 150,000 troops on the five Normandy beaches that would bring about the liberation of north-west Europe from Nazi occupation.
“In order to commemorate the peace and freedom given to us through the bravery and ultimate sacrifice of so many thousands involved in the D-Day landings, and throughout the whole of WW11, beacons and Lamp Lights of Peace will be lit across the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories - and in a very poignant and unique gesture, a special Lamp Lights of Peace lamps will be lit on each of the five beaches in Normandy, at 9.15pm local time that night, to coincide with the lighting of beacons at that time too.
“However, at 9.10pm, as night descends - and just before the beacons ignite - the resonant sound of bagpipes will be heard across the capital cities of London, Edinburgh, Belfast, and Cardiff. We will also have a presence in the capital cities of the Allied nations that took part. From Washington DC to the distant shores of New Zealand’s Auckland, from Ottawa to Paris, and from Canberra to Brussels, Athens and Amsterdam, Oslo, Warsaw, and Prague.
“The light from the flames from the lamps and the beacons will represent the ‘light of peace’ that emerged from the darkness of war, with the lamp providing a very simple, safe, unique and cost effective way of taking part in this important 80th anniversary occasion, especially as once used, can be lit again at 11am on every Remembrance Sunday thereafter, in tribute to the many millions that sacrificed their lives during WWII.”
D-DAY 80 PROCLAMATION
8am June 6, 2024
Jane Smith, the Town Crier for Bognor Regis and Secretary to the Ancient and Honourable Guild of Town Criers said - "The Guild and its members are enormously honoured to have been asked by Bruno Peek, Pageantmaster of D-Day 80 to support the D-Day 80 Commemoration by undertaking the Day 80 Proclamation at 8am on 6th June, recognising a hugely significant anniversary event in this year's calendar, alongside the Guilds from North America, Australasia and Europe who will also be undertaking the reading of the D-Day80 Proclamation throughout their countries too. Criers, me included, will be out and about on 6th June from early morning to nightfall by which time many of us expect to have hoarse voices!”
Jane continued - " This has been a mammoth undertaking which the Guild is delighted to have helped orchestrate. Nearly 400 Criers around the globe will be reading the Proclamation written specially for the occasion by the Guild's Chairman, Christian Ashdown, formerly of the Household Cavalry. I have no doubt that every Crier will do justice in commemorating the selfless sacrifice of all those involved on both June 6th, 1945, and the succeeding days”.
D-DAY 80 LAMP LIGHT OF PEACE
9.15pm June 6, 2024
‘Step into History by igniting the Flame of Peace Across Generations’
Challenge The Wild proudly stands at the forefront of history, illuminating the sands of Normandy's hallowed shores with the timeless glow of the Lamp Lights of Peace as part of D-Day 80. On the monumental occasion of D-Day 80, June 6th, 2024, we embark on an unprecedented endeavour, paying homage to the courage of the past and present.
As each flame dances upon the windswept beaches, it symbolises remembrance and resilience. These Lamps, kindled for the first time, serve as a poignant tribute to the gallant souls who once walked these sands, and a beacon of hope for the future they fought to secure.
Dan Searson, Challenge The Wild
D-DAY 80 CEREMONIAL TORCH BEING USED TO LIGHT THE
D-DAY 80 PRINCIPAL TORCH
"It is with the utmost reverence and profound gratitude that the Seafarers’ Charity accepted the opportunity of sponsoring the unique Ceremonial Torch that has been produced to light the Principal Beacon at 9.15pm on HMNB Portsmouth on 6th June 2024, especially as its handle holds samples of sand that Bruno Peek CVO OBE OPR, Pageantmaster of D-Day 80, had collected from the five individual Beaches in Normandy, France, to ensure when lit, the flame from it represents all those that sacrificed so much fighting for the freedom we all enjoy today. Marking this unparalleled tribute, marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings, and this momentous occasion, we pay homage to the valorous seafaring veterans whose unwavering courage and sacrifice secured that triumph of freedom. Their legacy endures, and we stand steadfast in our commitment to honour and support them, now and always.”
Temi Binitie, Business Development Director, The Seafarers’ Charity
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