Letter to town & parish clerks from the King’s Pageantmaster (16th Jan 2024)

TOWN, PARISH & COMMUNITY COUNCILS – D-DAY 80 – 6TH JUNE 2024

As you are aware, we are organising D-Day 80 – 6th June 2024, throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories in Commemoration/Celebration of the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day landings on the five Beaches in Normandy, France, which took place on 6th June 1944, enabling your Council and local community to use this occasion to pay ’tribute’ to the many, many thousands that sacrificed so much in helping to secure the freedom we all enjoy today. With this in mind, we have developed several ways in which your Council and community can take part in this special occasion.

(1) BEACON: Light a Beacon at 9.15pm on 6th June, as encouraged by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (See page 3) of the Guide To Taking Part, which can be viewed and downloaded from the D-Day 80 website: www.d-day80beacons.co.uk

From the Guide (see pages 41 to 45), you will see there are several styles of Beacons that can be used for this occasion, many of which you may have used for previous occasions, and those of you with the permanent Beacon Braziers and gas fuelled Beacons produced for our late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, are urged to re-use these to save money. With regard to the Bonfire Beacons (see pages 41 and 42), these are ideal for country parks, village greens and our farms throughout the UK etc.

• LAMP LIGHT OF PEACE: We understand that there are areas of our local communities unable to light Beacons for various reasons, so we have developed the Lamp Light of Peace (see page 39) providing a simple and cost effective way of becoming and being part of this event by lighting it at 9.15pm on 6th June next year, coinciding with the lighting of the Beacons that night, and once used for this occasion, they can be re-lit at 11am on 11th November in ‘Remembrance’ for many years to come. (The flame in the Lamp, along with the Beacons, will represent the ‘light of peace’ that emerged from the dreadful darkness of War). We believe these are suitable for Care Homes, Hospitals, and Pubs etc, and have already had several taking part. (See examples on the D-Day 80 website).
• RINGING OUT FOR PEACE: With the valuable assistance of the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers (see website), we are encouraging every Cathedral and Church throughout the UK, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man to ring their Bells at 6.30pm on 6th June, so we ask you to contact your local Churches etc, inviting them to take part.
• All those taking part in the above will be sent the Certificate of Grateful Recognition, enabling them to download, print and frame it as a permanent reminder of their involvement (see website). From the website and Guide To Taking Part, you will see there are other elements taking place, making up this

Commemoration/Celebration event, with many taking part already as their personal tributes. Those taking part in this event are being asked to go to page 52 in the Guide, outlining their involvement as requested, to enable us to register their participation, and send them their Certificate.

We do hope that your Council will participate in one or more of the above, and look forward to hearing from you in due course.

My warmest regards to you all.

Empire Medals has kindly produced a Pin Badge for D-Day 80 – 6th June 2024 to assist in the Commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France, in a very simple and cost effective way, providing all those purchasing them with a unique opportunity to pay their personal ‘tribute’ to past family members involved in D-Day on 6th June 1944, and/or WWII as a whole. For details, please visit the Empire Medals website.