Culture, Dorchester, Events & Entertainment | Posted on June 4th, 2024 | return to news
Dorset Council to mark 80th anniversary of D-Day
People from across Dorset are invited to attend a flag raising ceremony at County Hall in Dorchester on Thursday 6 June.
Dorset Council is inviting people from across the county to attend a flag raising ceremony on Thursday 6 June to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings.
Taking place at 9am at the Memorial outside County Hall in Dorchester, veterans, military personnel and dignitaries will pay homage to the incredible bravery of allied troops who left south coast ports and airfields for France on 6 June 1944.
During the ceremony, the D-Day 80 Flag of Peace will be raised as a mark of respect to veterans and serving armed forces.
The service will commence with The Proclamation read by Dorchester town crier, Anthony Harrison.
The Rev John Yarrien, Superintendent Minister, Dorset South and West Methodist Circuit will lead the service and The Royal British Legion’s county chairman will invite the chairman of Dorset Council, Cllr Stella Jones to speak.
Messages from the five charities delivered by Royal Naval Association, A Sqn Royal Wessex Yeomanry, Royal Air Force Association, Merchant Navy Association and US First Infantry Division will follow.
St Osmund’s School Choir will sing two songs acapella — Dona Nobis Pacem and Benedictus Sanctus — and children from St Mary’s RC First School will also be attending.
The Minister will invite HM’s Vice Lord-Lieutenant, The Hon Mrs Townshend to read The Exhortation. This will be followed by the Royal British Legion county chairman, Grant Parrott, reading the Kohima Plea.
In 1944, 80 years ago, over 5,000 ships and landing craft carrying more than 150,000 troops descended on five Normandy beaches.
The landings saw the start of a long and heavy campaign in North-West Europe which ultimately led the German command to accept that defeat was inevitable.
Between 6 June 1944 and 7 May 1945, 517,816 troops and 144,093 vehicles embarked from Weymouth and Portland harbours alone.
Many of the troops who embarked via Weymouth on D-Day were part of the US 1st Division (the ‘Big Red One’) who were destined to land on Omaha Beach.
A memorial dedicated to the American troops can be found on the Esplanade in Weymouth.
Please share post:
LATEST NEWS:
CHARITY OF THE YEAR
Subscribe to the online magazine news letter
