A beacon will be lit in a West Berkshire village to commemorate all the soldiers based there before D-Day.
Bucklebury Parish Council will be lighting the beacon on Chapel Row Green tomorrow (Thursday) in commemoration of the soldiers who were stationed on Bucklebury Common before the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944.
The flags will be arriving at Chapel Row around 8.45pm on Thursday evening and the lighting of the beacon will happen at 9.15pm.
Organisers said it was first time that something like this had taken place in Bucklebury.
The beacon is around 20ft high and there will be a tribute speech before it is lit. The US flag will be leaving from Beenham Turning at 8.15pm and the UK flag from Pease Hill at the same time, and following the flags is being encouraged by organisers.
Bucklebury Common was cleared to be a depot for repairing vehicles used on D-Day – the three mounds of earth from the flattening of the land are still visible today.
American, Canadian and British forces were also stationed in the surrounding villages in the run up to D-Day and the event on Thursday aims to recognise the efforts of all soldiers fighting on D-Day, but particularly those billeted in the local area.
There will be free tea, coffees and cake, and a collection for SSAFA, The Armed Forces Charity at the event.
Parking is available at the doctors’ surgery and around the triangle. For more details, contact Georgina Woods at georgina.wood@buckleburyparish.org.
