The 65th anniversary of D-Day

The 65th anniversary of D-Day 117/2009 03 June 2009 Military personnel, Chiefs and Ministers will join veterans on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 June to commemorate the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Events will take place across Normandy to mark the date Allied Forces invaded occupied France. Defence Secretary John Hutton will attend commemorations at Bayeux at 1000 on 6 June, organised by the Royal British Legion and the Normandy Veterans Association. A further ceremony, organised by the Normandy Veterans Association, will take place later in the day at Arromanches, part of Gold beach where Allied Forces landed on D-Day. Veterans Minister Kevan Jones will join Chief of the General Staff (CGS) General Sir Richard Dannatt for the 1730 service. The day before, 5 June, media are invited to attend two events. The first will see nine British D-Day veterans will be awarded the rank of Chevalier of the French Legion d'Honneur in Les Invalides, Paris, at 1430 on 5 June. Veterans Minister Kevan Jones will attend the presentation with Jean-Marie Bockel, the French Minister of State for Defence and Veterans. In the second, CGS will take part in a midnight vigil at Pegasus Bridge, Ranville in an event organised by Project 65. This commemoration will mark the Allied glider landings and parachute drop that took place in the early hours of D-Day. Media should note that a tenth British D-Day veteran will be awarded the higher rank of Officier of the Legion d'Honneur at the international ceremony at Omaha beach on 6 June. For full details of veterans involved in the presentations, please contact the Normandy Veterans Association. Contact details are provided below. CGS will also unveil a memorial at the Pegasus Bridge Museum at 1500 on 6 June. Major General Barney White-Spunner, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 3rd (UK) Division, will join Defence Secretary John Hutton for the ceremony at Bayeux on 6 June. He will also join Veterans Minister Kevan Jones for service at Arromanches later that day.