D-Day 80: Poignant beacons to be lit across Hampshire to mark 80th anniverary of Normandy Landings
Beacons are to be lit across Hampshire as part of a national initiative to light 800 of them to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings
More than 800 D-Day beacons will be lit at 9.15pm throughout the UK and overseas on June 6, with the first and principle beacon lit by Pageant Master of D-Day80, Bruno Peek at Portsmouth Naval Base.
The beacons and ceremonial torch, both of which have been specifically created and donated by BA Systems for the occasion, will contain within the base and handle, sand from the five Normandy beaches the allies landed on.
However Portsmouth is not the only place in Hampshire where beacons will be lit, with around 30 other locations in the county also joining the commemorations.
The full list of beacons and who they will be lit by is:
- Calshot and Stone Point National Coastwatch
- Lepe D-Day Heritage Group
- Winchester Round Table
- Hayling Island
- Liss Parish Council
- Bramley Parish Council
- Royal Southern Yacht Club with Hamble Parish Council
- Allbrook Parish Council & Otterbourne Parish Councils
- Cheesefoot Head, Matterley Estate
- East Meon Parish Council, East Meon Village Hall and All Saint’s Church, EastMeon
- Eastleigh Town Council
- Folds Farm, Godshillwood, Fordingbridge
- Copythorne Parish Hall Committee & District Royal British Legion
- Sherfield on Loddon
- Gosport Borough Council
- Catherington Village Residents’ Association – CVRA
- Chandler’s Ford Parish Council
- Hound Parish Council
- Stratfield Mortimer Parish Council
- Pamber Parish Council
- Bramshott & Liphook Parish Council
- Hythe Marina Association Ltd
- Charlton Village Community Association
- Rooksdown Parish Council
- Hampshire County Council
- Portsmouth City Council
- Yateley Town Council
- Whitchurch Town Council
- Ludgershall Heritage Group