Spirit of D-Day alive as well as spectacular Southwick Revival returns - in pictures

The bad weather yesterday (June 6) didn’t dampen spirits at this year’s Southwick Revival which saw the village turned back in time for its annual commemoration of the second world war.

The “Spirit of D-Day” was alive and well in the village over the weekend with visitors, many dressed in 1940s outfits, able to enjoy impressive vintage military vehicle displays and motorcade, vintage funfair and a cadet Field Gun Competition.

The Place Woods military encampment also made a return with soldier reenactments, cannon firing and codebreaking opportunities in the nearby Southwick Estate forest. This is the woodland where soldiers from the 21st Army assembled, camouflaged under the trees, prior to D-Day in 1944 alongside General Eisenhower’s encampment.

The French Quarter also returned with music, dance and delicious food offerings, with speakers this weekend including former Secretary of State and Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt and historian Adam Hart.

There was also the chance to see Southwick Park’s D-Day Map Room and Fort Southwick 1944 Underground HQ Tunnels where Operation Overlord was planned and eventually approved.

Local MP for Fareham and Waterlooville Suella Braverman was one of the visitors yesterday and said despite yesterday’s wind and rain it was “a fantastic day” in the village with “a huge amount of history”.

She sdaid: “It hasn’t put people off and there are hundreds of people in Southwick to celebrate and commemorate the heroism of that D-Day generation.

“Southwick was of course the nerve centre of Operation Overlord. It was where the critical military operation was commanded from at the famous map room. Eisenhower, Montgomery, Churchill, they all spent time here on those eventful historical days commanding Operation Overlord.”

For more information about the annual visit and sign up to the website visit www.Southwickrevival.co.uk.