North Yorkshire reflects on the D-Day 80th Anniversary

How the towns and cities across the county marked the Normandy Landings

Author: Jed PenberthyPublished 7th Jun 2024

North Yorkshire commemorated the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings with a series of events across the county.

Wreath laying ceremonies were held in York and Ripon before beacons were lit across the North Yorkshire coast.

York

In York, the Royal British Legion hosted a service at the railway station, with veterans and dignitaries attending.

Poems were read, including For The Fallen by Laurence Binyon before the Last Post was played.

Ripon

Ripon Cathedral hosted a day of special events to mrk the 80th anniversary.

Prayers were heard on the hour with a dedicated service in the morning, before a D-Day concert marked both the anniversary of the landings, but also the 75th anniversary of the Royal Engineers.

At 9:15, the Beacon was lit in Ripon with Jack Churchill, the great grandson of Sir Winston Churchill.

Scarborough

Scarborough too lit the beacons in the evening. Earlier in the day a new sculpture would be erected in the town to mark D-Day was announced.

Harrogate and Knaresborough

A town service was held around Harrogate and Knaresborough, led by the Royal British Legion.

Harrogate Convention Centre commissioned limited edition flags to fly over the arean.

In Knaresborough, the proclamation was read out by Mark Hunter the Town Cryer.

Whitby

Across the Whitby area, special flags were flow, with beacons and the Lamp Lights of Peace were lit to signify the 'light that emerged from the darkness of War'.

School children read poems and church bells rang out across the morning.

Catterick and Northallerton

In the days leading up to D-Day, aviators from RAF Leeming marched through Northallerton supported by the Band of the RAF College.

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