Communities across the UK are set to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings on Thursday, June 6 1944.
Several commemorations and memorial events will take place across the county as we remember the invasion which tipped the course of the Second World War in the allies favour.
Events include everything from Battle of Britain flypasts to the lighting of a beacon. These are expected to attract hundreds of residents.
Some of the most prominent commemorations will take place in Bracknell Forest, Ascot, Windsor and Maidenhead, alongside private events throughout the community.
Here are sevenevents happening across Berkshire on Thursday, June 6.
Crowthorne D-Day 80
JoinCrowthorne Parish Councilat the Morgan Recreation Ground on Thursday 6 June from 3.30pm. There will be a schools art show, WWII aeroplane models, a school choir, treasure hunt, fire engine, and much more.
The free family event will have evening entertainment from 6pm with food stalls, WWII songs, RBL beer tent and an outdoor cinema screening of Dunkirk (12), followed by the international tribute.
D-Day commemoration event in Bond Square
In honour of the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Bracknell Forest Council and The Lexicon will be hosting an event in Bond Square on Thursday 6 June from 8pm to 9.30pm.
There will be speeches from the Mayor of Bracknell Forest, and many others. School pupils will recite commemorative war poems they have written as part of a competition run with local schools. To bring the event to a close, a beacon will be lit as part of the event.
D-Day 80 party in the park
Sunninghill and Ascot Parish Councilare holding a D-Day party in the park on Thursday 6 June from 4pm to 10pm in Victory Field Recreation Ground, Sunninghill.
The event promises to be a fabulous evening, with great food, family entertainment and live music.
D-Day commemorations in Binfield
In honour of the occasion,Binfield Parish Councilare raising the D-Day 80 Flag of Peace in Foxley Fields at 9am on Thursday 6 June.
At 6.45pm RBL, RNA and Binfield Unit groups will open the event and join the parade. Between 7pm - 9pm there will be 1940's live music. Bring along your picnics and blankets. Refreshments will be available from the Foxes' Den and there will be traditional British garden games.
The D-Day Beacon will be lit at 9.15pm.
Sandhurst Freedom March
The Sandhurst Freedom March, arranged bySandhurst Town Council, is a vibrant community event taking place on Saturday 15 June. It will begin at 12pm, where there will be community stalls and food.The order of events for the day will be:
- 1:30pm - Royal Military Academy will march down Yorktown Road
- 2:30pm - the parade and inspection will take place at Memorial Park
- 5:30pm - evening performances will take to the stage, featuring local bands and tribute acts, and a firework display will end the night
Ascot – Victory Park
Sunninghill and Ascot Parish Council are hosting a D Day 80 Party in the Park at Victory Field, Sunninghill on Thursday 6th June from 4 pm to 10 pm.
This community event will comprise fairground rides, an appetizing range of food outlets (including fish, chips and mushy peas) and live music on the stage including a 1940s sing a long. A large beacon, built by our local scouts, will be lit at 9.15 pm, at the same time as numerous others will be lit across the country to mark the 80th Anniversary of D Day in celebration of the ‘light of peace that emerged from the darkness of war’.
Maidenhead
A service is planned at All Saints Church in Church Close (Boyne Hill) on Sunday, June 9 at 10am.
The Maidenhead Branch of the Royal British Legion and the clergy and parishioners of All Saints will pay tribute to the 18 Maidenhead servicemen who lost their lives in conflict at that time.
The RBL aims to identify every one of these men, their age, service and their final resting place.
Residents who had family members who fought in the conflict are ‘assured of a warm welcome,’ should they wish to attend.
There will also be a short raising of a D-Day80 flag ceremony at Maidenhead Town Hall on June 6 at 9am.
If you are heading to an event near you, let us know.
