On Thursday, 6 June, the nation came together to remember the tens of thousands of Allied forces who served on D-Day eighty years ago and helped secure the peace we in the UK enjoy today.
To honour the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Northumberland Estates, with support from Alnwick Town Council, hosted a commemorative event at Alnwick Castle. The event included themed music, canapés, and refreshments, and was attended by the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, local veterans, uniformed services, and council representatives. The Duke, accompanied by his piper, lit a beacon at the Barbican at 9:15pm.
Bruno Peek CVO OBE OPR, Pageant Master of D-Day80, said: “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, leading to the liberation of northwest Europe from Nazi occupation.
“In order to commemorate the peace and freedom granted to us through the bravery and ultimate sacrifice of so many thousands involved in the D-Day landings and throughout the whole of WWII, beacons and Lamp Lights of Peace were lit across the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, and UK Overseas Territories.”
His Grace, the Duke of Northumberland, said: "This event is an opportunity to remember those who took part in the D-Day landings. We particularly remember the men from Alnwick who served in the Normandy campaigns and all those who provided essential services in wartime Northumberland."
