Wivenhoe Branch RBL mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day at the War Memorial

Former Town Mayor Cllr Bob Needham with his partner Audrey Crosby at the Commemoration Service

Photo by Peter Hill

Some of the RBL members and others standing around the War Memorial

Photo by Peter Hill

RBL Branch Chairman, Bob Blackmore, lays a second wreath on behalf of the Royal British Legion

Photo by Peter Hill

Lawrence Knox gave an opening address to the more than the 50 people who had come down to join this simple ceremony to mark this important day.

Photo by Peter Hill

Prayers were led by Rev Erwin Lammens, Rector of St Mary's Church.

Photo by Peter Hill

LtoR: Charm Wheatley, Standard Bearer; Lawrence Knox, former RBL Branch Chairman; Jo Beighton-Emms, RBL Branch Treasurer and Wivenhoe Town Clerk; Dan Luxford, RBL Standard Bearer; RBL Branch Chairman, Bob Blackmore.

Photo by Peter Hill

On Thursday 6th June 2019, the 75th anniversary of D-Day on 6th June 1944 was marked by a simple but poignant ceremony at the Wivenhoe War Memorial which was attended by over 50 people including Wivenhoe Town Mayor, Cllr Nick Tile, Deputy Town Mayor Sanchia Nash, former Town Mayors Cllr Bob Needham and Cllr Mike Newton, Borough Cllrs Cyril Liddy and Andrea Luxford Vaughan.

The ceremony was organised by the Wivenhoe Branch of the Royal British Legion.

After RBL Branch Chairman Bob Blackmore had called everyone to order, Lawrence Knox gave an address in which he recalled the extraordinary efforts of the 156,000 people who landed on the beaches of Normandy 75 years ago and all those who landed by parachute further in the fields of Normandy, and of the 7,000 vessels which took them across and all the aircraft which were involved on that first day and the 77 days which followed in Operation Overlord. This operation had taken over a year in planning. It was though the beginning of the end of the second World War.  It was at a huge cost though, with over 10,000 casualties on the first day including 2,500 who were killed. Overall over 22,400 allied servicemen died in Operation Overlord as well as large number of French people who were killed in the heavy fighting.

After a respectful silence and the Exhortation said by Lawrence Knox, Martyn Carrick laid the first wreath on behalf of all Normandy Veterans followed by Bob Blackmore who laid a wreath on behalf of all Legion members.

The Rev Erwin Lammens, Rector of St Mary’s led the prayers and, at the end of this simple service held at 11am on what turned out to be a bright sunny morning, spoke movingly of his own memories of the War growing up in Belgium and the eventual liberation of Europe in 1945.

Amongst the 50 members of the Legion and others who turned out were two Legion members from South Africa, Jerry and Jill, who were visiting their daughter who lives in Wivenhoe.

Lest we forget

Peter Hill, President, Wivenhoe Branch RBL

To find out about Wivenhoe’s contribution to the D_day landings and Operation Overlord – click here