D-Day 80th Anniversary Celebrations

Background

6th June 2024 was the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings that marked the beginning of the end of World War Two. To this day, this is the largest amphibious military operation in history.

Codenamed Operation Neptune, this feat of military planning began in 1943 and was executed on June 6th, 1944 after poor weather delayed the start for 24 hours. Allies from thirteen countries were involved in the landings with 24,000 troops from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada making up the majority.

The stretch of Normandy coast that was targeted was divided into five sections: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. Soldiers fought on these beaches under heavy fire and had to dodge mines, wooden stakes, and barbed wire to advance towards the enemy. Although allied casualties were high, this sacrifice paved the way for the liberation of Europe from Nazi rule and is largely regarded as the turning point of the Second World War.

Wellington commemorated this important anniversary through a range of events which all kicked off with the 1940’s themed Street Fair on Saturday 1st June.

**Please note that the majority of pictures on this page are courtesy of Around Wellington

Street Fair – Saturday 1st June – 10am to 4pm – Town Centre

Wellington Town Council’s annual Street Fair returned with a 1940’s theme in commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings. We had over 70 stalls from local crafters, traders, charities, and community groups. Along with this, there was a packed schedule of entertainment on our stage including the swing/jazz group The Liberty Sisters performing some classic 1940’s tunes. Throughout their two sets, local lindy hoppers showed us their moves in front of the stage.

As well as our main stage entertainment, Wellington Baptist church kept the fun going all the way down South Street with performances from Skintight Samba and the Red Arrows Majorettes. We also had the walkabout act The Tank, carefully manned by General Motors and Private Parts, patrolling the streets throughout the day and making sure everyone was behaving themselves.

On the day we were lucky enough to be joined by some genuine WW2 era vehicles including two Jeeps, a Ford Anglia, and an Austin. The vehicle owners really got into the spirit of the day and dressed up in military gear, though one took it a step further and arrived in a full Winston Churchill fit – whiskey and cigar included!

Music in the Park – Sunday 2nd June – 2:30pm to 4:30pm – Wellington Park

The Friends of Wellington Park kicked off their summer programme of weekly Music in the Park with Miss Ivy Belle and Rod Thomas singing a range of music including some wartime jazz.

As always, the residents of Wellington turned out in force to support the event and enjoyed the beautiful weather and the refreshments provided by the Friends of Wellington Park.

Beacon Lighting – Thursday 6th June – 7pm to 10:00pm – Wellington Park

Thursday 6^th June was the official anniversary of the D-Day landings and marked 80 years since troops landed on the beaches of Normandy. Wellington’s Town Crier Andrew Norris made the Proclamation, written by Christian Ashdown of the Ancient of Honourable Guild of Town Criers, at 10am in the town centre.

In the official guidance for the anniversary, a poem written by Chelsea Pensioner and Herald Roy Palmer titled “D-Day Heroes” was included to be shared nationwide in schools at 11am on Thursday 6th June. While we shared the poem with our town’s schools, we also asked the students of Court Fields if they could record a reading of the poem so it could be shared with everyone. The video can be seen further down on this page.

On this auspicious anniversary, Wellington Town Council invited Major Steve Tisbury, Second in Command of 6 RIFLES, to jointly sign the Armed Forces Covenant with Mayor Janet Lloyd. The Town Council adopted the Covenant at their meeting in October 2023 and have been waiting for the right time to sign it with a representative of The Rifles Regiment, who were granted the Freedom of the Town in June 2023. The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise that together we acknowledge and understand that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, should be treated with fairness and respect in the communities, economy, and society they serve with their lives.

Once the covenant was signed, Wellington Silver Band provided entertainment on the park’s bandstand with a range of wartime music until about 8:30pm. Members of the public came out to support the band, a few with picnics in tow! When the band was finished, more 1940’s music was played over the sound system that was set up in the park for the event.

At 9:15pm Wellington joined communities around the country in the lighting of a beacon at the centre of Wellington Park. The beacon was a representation of the ‘light of peace’ that emerged from the darkness of the Second World War. As Mayor Janet Lloyd lit the beacon, Town Crier Andrew Norris read out The International Tribute in remembrance of those whose sacrifices at home and abroad during the D-Day landings enable us to enjoy peace and freedom today.