D-DAY80: HOW THE NATION WILL REMEMBER FALLEN HEROES
6th June 1944 – 80 years ago. 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.
Published: 2 June 2024
Thursday 6 June 1924 marks the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings on 6th June 1944 (D-Day).
D-Day on 6th June 1944 was the largest Naval, Air and land Operation in history, involving many hundreds of thousands of brave men who had to leave their families at home, not knowing if they would ever return home, a feat we hope will never have to take place again.
Operation Overlord saw around 4,000 ships and landing craft set down about 137,500 troops on five Normandy beaches in an action that would bring about the liberation of north-west Europe from Nazi occupation. It also offers an opportunity to remember over 209,000 Allied casualties of Operation Overlord. This includes nearly 37,000 ground forces and 16,714 air forces killed in the invasion of Normandy’s Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword beaches, and the long and bloody campaign that followed.
The statistics behind the successful operation, which eventually convinced the Nazi high command that their defeat was inevitable, are both shocking and awe inspiring. German defence forces were drawn away from Normandy by distraction tactics as resources were secretly built up on the English coast.
Nine million tonnes of supplies and equipment were shipped across the Atlantic and 1.4 million American servicemen arrived to join a substantial contingent of Canadian forces. By 1944 over two million troops from 12 countries were in Britain preparing for the invasion. On D-Day, American, British and Canadian troops were augmented by personnel from Australia, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands, France, Greece, New Zealand, Norway, Rhodesia and Poland. Soon after midnight on 6th June, more than 180,000 Allied paratroopers were dropped into the invasion area, and Allied air crews flew 14,674 sorties to support the landings.
To commenorate this event, the Parish Council and Woolaston Memorial Hall committee have arranged for a village get together / Bring your own Picnic on the Hall playing field on Sunday 9 June 2024.
All residents and friends are invited to come together to remember the 80th anniversary of D-day and enjoy a community picnic.
Licensed bar on site. Bring your own picnic and soft drinks; you will also need to bring your own chairs and blankets. Tables will be provided.