The new British Normandy Memorial includes several different elements to highlight the historic day.
The allied landings on the beaches of Normandy, France, marked a turning point in World War II. It would lead to the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control. That initial assault, on June 6th, 1944, was known as D-Day.
And according to D-Day Veteran Douglas Barry Farrington, the experience was unforgettable. “I’ll never forget it. Never forget it,” he said. “It’s too drastic to forget.”
Now, a new memorial has been created just in time for the 77th anniversary of D-Day.
The British Normandy Memorial includes several different elements, including a D-Day sculpture created by artist David Williams-Ellis, and a D-Day wall containing the names of the British troops who died on that fateful June day. It also includes 160 stone columns bearing the names of those who lost their lives on the way to the August 1944 liberation of Paris.
For Alan Wesley McConnell, a natural stone specialist who worked on the memorial, it was a moving experience. “Well, when you stand here, and you look out across the English Channel, it's wonderful just to think, about 77 years ago, when the soldiers were coming off the beach, onto the land here, and the bullets firing at them from the Germans. It's a trembling thought just to think about that."
This year’s in-person D-Day remembrances will again limit attendance because of coronavirus safety measures. Ceremonies will be broadcast and live-streamed for those who want to mark the day.
