D-Day 80th anniversary events in North Devon

Events will be held across North Devon this June to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day and commemorate the Allied invasion of Normandy, which turned the tide and brought about the end of World War Two in Europe.

Beacons will be lit around the county and the UK on Thursday, June 6, to honour that ‘day of days’ eight decades earlier when the largest seaborne invasion ever landed on the French coast.

The historic occasion will be marked by various events in communities across our region – and North Devon played a key part in the build up to D-Day with thousands of Allied troops billeted and trained in the area in the countdown to the invasion.

This included the beaches of Woolacombe, Saunton and Croyde as well as Instow and Braunton Burrows and was known as the Assault Training Center.

Above: Training for D-Day on the 'rocket wall' at Braunton Burrows, part of the Assault Training Center. Credit FATC

To commemorate sacrifice of so many thousands involved in the D-Day landings in the fight for freedom, beacons and Lamp Lights of Peace will be lit across the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories - plus a Lamp Light of Peace will be lit on each of the five beaches in Normandy, at 9.15pm local time on June 6, to coincide with the lighting of beacons everywhere.

Town criers will be reading out the Town Crier Proclamation at communities across the land – see below for local details.

D-Day 80 events in North Devon

In Barnstaple on Thursday, June 6 there will be American WW2 vehicles, soldiers and living history groups plus a tea dance on the Square between 9am and 11am, before an 11am memorial service in Rock Park led by the Reverend Dr Ben Williams.

There will also be a Digital Heritage Trail for people to discover the stories and significance of the town during the war years.

Bideford Town Council is hosting an evening of commemoration at the Pollyfield Centre on June 6 from 6.30pm, with performances by Bideford Youth Pipes and Drums and the famed Liberty Sisters singing popular 1940s songs, as well as D-Day and wartime memorabilia.

There will be tributes to the heroes of D-Day and a beacon will be lit at 9.15pm. There will be a Town Crier’s Proclamation and the Piper’s Lament. The town clerk will recite The National Tribute and the Mayor of Bideford will read out the town’s own special Roll of Honour of those who lived locally and were involved in the D-Day landings.

A special commemoration event is taking place on Appledore Quay on June 6, organised by Northam Town Council and Appledore Visitors Association from 7.30pm.

There will be music from Appledore Band together with a barbecue and other refreshments and a beacon will be lit at 9.15pm. Those attending are invited to bring their own chairs.

Great Torrington will be remembering those involved in the D-Day landings with a programme of events on June 6. 

The Town Crier Proclamation will be read out in the Town Square at 8am, with the bells of St Michael and All Angels Church ringing out for peace at 6.30pm, along with churches around the country.

Then from 8pm Torrington Silver Band will be playing at Torrington Rugby Club before the lighting of a beacon, built by Torrington Cavaliers at 9.15pm, while the Mayor reads out The International Tribute. There is no parking at the rugby club site – if people have special access needs, please contact the town council on 01805 626135 or email admin@great-torringtontowncouncil.gov.uk.

Great Torrington Town and Community Hall is holding a D-Day Lunch on June 6 from 12noon to 3 pm.

Food will be cooked and served by ‘Land Army’ girls Rosie, Paula, and Jackie. There is roast beef and Lord Woolton Pie and pudding available if you have room! Bar open.

Then on Saturday, June 8 the hall is hosting Boogie in the Bunker from 7.30pm, a 1940s-themed dance to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, with free entry thanks to sponsors The Torrington Masonic Lodge, WMS and Langden Estates.

There will be live music by the Hummingbirds and a swinging vintage DJ -The Sultan of Swing. Paula Langer, who has been organising the event with the help of fellow trustees said: “We are busy transforming our majestic town hall into a 1940s venue complete with a bar. Although period dress is optional we hope people will get into the theme of the evening and enter our best dressed competition to win a prize. We particularly welcome veterans past and present to come along and join us.”

In Ilfracombe, former town crier Roy Goodwin will be coming out of retirement for a special reading of the D-Day proclamation on the clapping circle by Capstone at 11am on June 6, with others attending to honour those who trained for the landings in North Devon.

In Braunton, there will be a service and wreath laying at St Brannocks Churchyard at 3.30pm on Thursday, June 6 at the American Tree in the churchyard.

Many Americans were based in Braunton while training for D-Day and on June 5, 1944 there was a ceremony in the churchyard when the Americans planted a tree. The next day they left for the beaches of France.

The tree is still going strong and has a plaque beside it, with the D-Day landings still commemorated at the tree each year.

South Molton Pannier Market will be marking the occasion on June 6 from 10am to 1pm with a full market, plus seating on the square for visitors to enjoy a performance by South Molton Town Band. The square will also be decorated with Tommy soldier statues and a 1943 WW2 original Willy's Jeep will be present.

Kenwith Castle care home at Abbotsham near Bideford is holding an afternoon of reminiscence with a street party and live entertainment on Thursday, June 6 and is inviting local veterans who may be alone on the day to join the care home residents for their special event.

Some of the residents are armed forces veterans or have family or relations who served, including D-Day veteran, John, who celebrated his 100 birthday earlier this year.

There is no cost for veterans to attend, but places must be booked in advance by Monday, June 3. To book a place, call Kenwith Castle on 01237 470060.

Beaford Village Hall is hosting two events, on Thursday, June 6 from 7pm with the lighting of a beacon by a local veteran, The Last  Post played by a local resident on her bugle, a barbecue and bar and in the background Churchill’s speeches and 1940s music.

Then on Saturday, June 8 from 4pm the hall will host a 1940s Dance to the Hummingbirds trio, a children’s fancy dress competition, North Devon Hog Roast, cream teas in the ‘Naffi’, a bar and WW2 memorabilia display, plus the arrival of a fabulous Rols Royce Phantom 1, whose claim to fame is Churchill and Roosevelt used it many times.

Elsewhere, a beacon will be lit on the Lundy South lighthouse by Trinity House, which oversees lighthouses around England and Wales, to mark the occasion and also honour the Trinity House vessels and crews who worked tirelessly before and after D-Day to support the invasion.

Because many surviving veterans and living history groups will be in Normandy itself, there is no Devon D-Day event on Saunton Sands this year.

But on Saturday, June 15 it will be possible to see a convoy of wartime vehicles setting off from Braunton’s Sandy Lane car park at around 10am, organised by the Friends of the Assault Training Center.

The convoy will makes its way to the concrete landing craft on the dunes, where a wreath will be laid.

Barnstaple-based The Veterans Charity will be unveiling a new memorial to the first allied soldier to die on D-Day, Lance Corporal Fred Greenhalgh, on the Landing Zone at Pegasus Bridge in Normandy, on June 6. The memorial was made in North Devon by Simms Fabrication Ltd, which is run by a former Royal Engineer.

If you have a D-Day 80 public event and we have missed you out, please email us on newsdesk@northdevongazette.co.uk and we will add your event to the online round up.