Lieutenant Colonel Tony Slater and Tom Prior attended the 79th anniversary Normandy commemorations of D Day in June. A large number of services are held each year, from a large international one at the hugely impressive British Normandy Memorial at Ver sur Mer to local services in every commune close to the beaches.
We attended and laid wreaths on behalf of the Royal Anglian Regiment and our former Regiments at commemorations for the Suffolk Regiment at Hillman and Chateau de la Londe, The Royal Norfolk Regiment at Norfolk House and the Essex Regiment in Bayeux, Tilly and at Essex Wood. They were all well attended by local Mayors, Members of Parliament and significant numbers of local French people of all generations. The services are organised by the local Communes and increasingly involve the younger generation, with school children laying flowers on the memorials and assisting in the official wreath laying.
