D-Day 75 Press pack 75th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy (1944-2019) - Normandie Tourisme
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© M. Quemener Bayeux Tourisme D-Day 75 75th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy (1944-2019) Thursday 6 June 2019 Press pack normandy-dday.com normandydday75.com
© L. Williamson Normandy Tourism
75th anniversary of D-Day and the
Battle of Normandy
In 2019, all eyes will be on Normandy, as Thursday 6 June marks the 75th
anniversary of the D-Day Landings and the Battle of Normandy, and with it, a
momentous occasion to celebrate peace, liberty and reconciliation. This year
will see a rich, unprecedented programme of events and festivities such as
parades, firework displays, air shows and military re-enactments, bringing the
memory of this tragic period of world history to life, all while emphasising the
spirit of hope.
In this press pack, you will find a summary of the main events that Normandy
is planning in order to commemorate the 75th anniversary.
© normandiepassion.com
Official commemorations
The official commemorations of 6 June 2019 will bring together many heads
of state and government officials. Only invitation holders will be able to attend
these commemorations. Other areas in close proximity to these sites will still
be open to the general public, and many other D-Day sites and museums will
be open, so visitors without invitations can learn about the history of D-Day
Landings and the Battle of Normandy, all while soaking in the
festive atmosphere.
For the latest news on how to apply to attend official events, please consult
Normandy Tourism’s dedicated D-Day 75 website, which will be regularly
updated as information becomes available: normandydday75.com
What’s going on in 2019? 5 June, 11am
Commemorative service, Mémorial Pegasus Museum
March onwards Service attended by veterans and their families, the French community and local school groups. An ecumenical service
will be led by a British airborne padre; veterans will be decorated with the French Légion d’Honneuri hymns will be
Together! temporary exhibition, Juno Beach Centre
sung and a wreath will be laid. memorial-pegasus.org
The Juno Beach Centre proudly flies the flags of ten nations in recognition of all those who fought alongside Canadians
in D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. This exhibition highlights their roles, contributions and connections to Canadians 6 June, 10am and 12pm (timings subject to change)
on land, in the air and at sea. junobeach.org
Royal British Legion commemorative services in Bayeux (cathedral and cemetery)
March onwards Services attended by veterans at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Bayeux and the Bayeux Commonwealth War Graves
Great Women During the War 1939–1945 temporary exhibition, Juno Beach Centre Commission Cemetery. Accreditation will be required to gain access to both events. britishlegion.org.uk/community/d-
day-75
Developed with the Canadian War Museum, this exhibition pays tribute to 16 women (including two Brits), who
contributed to the war effort by seizing new opportunities and responsibilities, paving the way to profound social 6-9 June, every evening at nightfall
change. junobeach.org
Sound and light show at Merville Battery, Merville-Franceville beach
April-September State-of-the-art sound and light show called They did not know it was impossible screened at the Merville Battery, with
Portraits of D-Day, D-Day Landing Beaches four different re-enactments featuring over 100 actors and extras, played out on the spot where British paratroopers
assaulted the battery in 1944. batterie-merville.com
This outdoor exhibition will consist of 1,000 panels placed along the coast in 48 different municipalities. Each panel
will feature an American or Commonwealth soldier, or a Normandy Resistance fighter, honouring the memory of those 10 June-27 October
who fought for liberation. This is the flagship operation of the D-Day Committee to mark the 75th anniversary. dday-
Rockwell, Roosevelt and the Four Freedoms exhibition and new cinema, Caen Memorial
comitedudebarquement.fr
Exhibition of over 70 paintings and illustrations by Norman Rockwell, one of America’s most popular press illustrators
25 May-1 September and painters. This will be the first time Rockwell’s work has been displayed in France. Visitors can also watch a 360°
Jack Kirby: Superheroes exhibition, Thomas Henry le Quasar Museum, Cherbourg film in the new cinema. memorial-caen.com
Exhibition dedicated to Jack Kirby (1917-1994), creator of the Marvel superheroes. Enlisted in 1942, Kirby landed on June-November
Omaha Beach in August 1944 to join General Patton’s army. This episode deeply affected him and influenced his later
Utah Beach, Then and Now exhibition, Utah Beach D-Day Museum
productions. cherbourgtourism.com
This temporary exhibition will take visitors on a journey into the past, with photographs taken between Utah Beach
4 June-15 December and Sainte-Marie-du-Mont on D-Day superimposed onto photos of the same places in the present day. utah-beach.
Pegasus Bridge to Bailey Bridge temporary exhibition, Mémorial Pegasus Museum com
Exhibition recounting the role of the Bailey Bridge, a wartime masterpiece of mechanical engineering, in facilitating August
the movement of the Allied Forces, complemented by two films and actual Bailey Bridge. memorial-pegasus.org
End of the Battle of Normandy official commemorations, Mémorial de Montormel Museum
4 June-15 December Commemorations in the town of Chambois, a key site where the Battle of the Falaise Pocket was fought on 12-21
Operation Goodwood temporary exhibition, Mémorial Pegasus Museum August 1944, plus the Mémorial de Montormel Museum will be open and running its August 1944 tours around the
battlefield. memorial-montormel.org
On 18 July 1944, the British launched Operation Goodwood to seize the land south of Caen. It was to become
the largest tank battle ever fought by the British Army. This exhibition recounts the momentous operation, and is
dedicated to all those who fought. memorial-pegasus.org
© Comité du Débarquement
© T.Houyel
© T. Houyel
D-Day Festival Normandy
25 May-16 June
This year, tourist offices situated along and near the D-Day Landing Beaches will come together to present an extra
special D-Day Festival, with events taking place in Sainte-Mère-Église, Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, Bayeux and
Arromanches-les-Bains (Gold Beach) to name but a few places.
For the full festival programme listing all events and prices (where applicable), visit the Bayeux Tourisme website:
bayeux-bessin-tourisme.com
30 May-2 June, 11am-6pm
The D-Day Landing Beaches by Air, Englesqueville-la-Percée
Helicopter tours of famous D-Day sites such as the Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach, the Normandy American Cemetery,
Arromanches-les-Bains and the artificial port.
30 May-16 June
Guided tours, Gold Beach sector
Walking tours of Arromanches- les-Bains, Bayeux, Port-en-Bessin, Longues-sur-Mer and Juaye Mondaye.
1-9 June, 10am-6pm
Camp Geronimo, Saint Mère-Église
Re-enactments of the American Airborne troops in Normandy and exhibition taking place next to the Airborne
Museum. On 8 June, there will also be a Pathfinders demo in the morning.
2-9 June, 10am-7pm
© S. Lorkin Anibas Photography
Omaha Remembers military village and exhibition, Vierville-sur-Mer
Large-scale military re-enactment on Omaha Beach. Tickets to the military village also include access to the new
photography exhibition at the D-Day Omaha Museum.
6 June, 10am-3pm and 8:30pm
D-Day in Sainte-Mère-Église
Military vehicle display and paratrooper demonstration on the main town square, followed by a peace concert in
the evening.
6 June, 9pm-12:30am
D-Day on Gold Beach, Arromanches-les-Bains
Live 1940s concert on the seafront followed by a fireworks display over the beach.
7 June, 7pm
Liberty Ball, Bayeux
Evening of celebrating liberty with music from the Hot Swing Sextet and Glenn’s Swing Orchestra.
8 June, 3pm and 7pm
Up the Johns parade and Liberty Ball, Bretteville-l’Orgeuilleuse
Parade featuring civilians and soldiers in 1940s attire, a 30-strong Scottish pipe band and over 150 civilian and military
vehicles, all followed by dancing to 1940s music at the Liberty Ball.
10 June, 11:30pm
Commemorative D-Day fireworks
Fireworks displays set off simultaneously at all the major D-Day sites along the coast.
© T. Houyel
Normandie World War II International Film Festival
2-7 June
A special Band of Brothers Actors Reunion edition of this annual festival, with all events
attended by actors from the TV series. wwiifoundation.org/events/film
2 June, 9pm: Opening ceremony, Utah Beach D-Day Museum
3 June, 11am: Autograph signing session, Utah Beach D-Day Museum
3 June: 30-minute screening of a film by Rick Warden, who played Lt. Harry
Welsh in Band of Brothers, then a Q & A, Carentan-les-Marais
4 June, 4pm and 8pm: VIP D-Day tour and dinner, Carentan-les-Marais
5 June, 9pm: Free concert, Carentan-les-Marais marina
6 June, 8pm: Autograph signing session, D-Day Experience, Saint-Côme-du-Mont
7 June, 11am-1pm: Autograph signing session, Normandy Victory Museum, Catz
©Normandy Memorial Trust
Inauguration of the British Normandy Memorial
6 June
British armed forces played a central role in D-Day and the Battle of Normandy and more
than 22,000 made the ultimate sacrifice in the cause of freedom. The Normandy Memorial
Trust was created in 2016 to realise the dream of Normandy Veterans to finally have a British
Normandy Memorial dedicated to their remembrance. The Memorial will stand in Ver-sur-Mer
overlooking Gold Beach, and will record the names of all those under British command who
lost their livwes in Normandy between 6 June and 31 August 1944. Also honoured will be the
tens of thousands of French citizens who lost their lives. The Memorial has been designed by
award-winning architect Liam O’Connor and financed by the British Government.
President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Theresa May have made a public
commitment to attend the inauguration of the Memorial on 6 June, when the Foundation
Stone will be laid. normandymemorialtrust.org
© T. Houyel
Normandy World Peace Forum
4-5 June
In June 2018, Normandy introduced a new annual event to the international calendar, one
addressing issues related to global peace and stability. The first Normandy World Peace Forum
was held in Caen and was attended by heads of state, leading academics, political specialists
and guest speakers such as former UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon.
The next forum will take place on 4-5 June and will provide a platform for reflection and
exchange on world tensions and peace building. It will be attended by heads of state and
government leaders from every continent, diplomats, noteworthy intellectuals, researchers,
philosophers, figures from civil society and citizen action groups. Together, they will discuss
international security and stability across the world. The forum is free to attend, but places
must be booked online in advance.
For updates on the Normandy World Peace Forum, visit: evenements.normandie.fr/fr/forum-
mondial-normandie-pour-la-paix
© smuki - Fotolia.com
UNESCO World Heritage Site candidacy
In the wake of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, local communities and authorities in
Normandy were determined to protect and preserve this vast theatre of operations, covering
some 50 miles of coastline. Thus, the D-Day Landing Beaches still bear the traces of those
fateful events, whose vestiges form a landscape unlike any other.
Thanks to the Liberté j’inscris ton nom (Liberty, I write your name) campaign, already more
than 50,000 people from all over the world, celebrities included, have supported Normandy’s
application to have the D-Day Landing Beaches listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This
privileged status will help preserve these historic sites and all that they represent for future
generations to come. UNESCO will make its decision in July.
To support the campaign, visit: liberte-normandie.com
D-Day 75 partners
© IWM
Imperial War Museums
IWM (Imperial War Museums) tells the story of people who have lived, fought and died in
conflicts involving Britain and the Commonwealth since the First World War. We challenge
people to look at conflict from different perspectives, enriching their understanding of the
causes, course and consequences of war and its impact on people’s lives.
To mark the 75th anniversary year of the D-Day landings, in June 2019 IWM will retell the
extraordinary Second World War story through three of its historic sites, HMS Belfast, IWM
Duxford and Churchill War Rooms, all of which played a role in this pivotal moment in history.
IWM will mark the anniversary on an unprecedented scale on 1-9 June. With activities ranging
from special D-Day themed events and tours through to an ambitious flight display across the
channel, culminating in a parachute landing in Normandy on the morning of 6 June. IWM will
be working alongside Normandy Tourism in 2019 on a number of marketing, digital and PR
initiatives to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. iwm.org.uk |
@I_W_M
© Brittany Ferries
Media enquiries: Monique Kent mkent@iwm.org.uk | Esther Blaine eblaine@iwm.org.uk
Brittany Ferries
With up to 14 daily sailings between Portsmouth and Poole to the Normandy ports of Le
Havre, Caen and Cherbourg, Brittany Ferries offers the widest choice of ferry services to the
region. Travel overnight by luxury cruise-ferry in the comfort of your own cabin with en-suite
facilities or be whisked across the Channel in as little as three hours on the summer fast-ferry
from Portsmouth to Cherbourg. Fares start from £85 each way for a car plus two.
Summer 2019 sees the arrival of a brand new environmentally-friendly cruise-ferry, Honfleur,
which will carry up to 1,680 passengers, and will come with 261 cabins, two cinemas,
restaurants, boutique shopping and expansive passenger lounges. Honfleur will operate
alongside Brittany Ferries’ Mont St Michel on three daily return sailings. Normandie, the
cruise-ferry she replaces, will move east to serve the Portsmouth to Le Havre route. brittany-
ferries.co.uk | @BrittanyFerries
Media enquiries: christopher.jones@brittanyferries.com | ellis.malcolm@brittanyferries.com
© Sabina Lorkin Anibas Photography Press contact Fran Lambert Senior Press Officer for Normandy c/o Atout France (France Tourism Development Agency) Lincoln House, 300 High Holborn London WC1V 7JH Tel: +44 20 7061 6637 Email: fran.lambert@atout-france.fr Twitter: @NormandyPRUK #DDay75 Find out all you need to know about the 75th anniversary at normandydday75.com
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