Some photos from today’s D-Day commemorations in Penzance and Newlyn
Today we commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day landings.
D-Day was the successful allied invasion of the beaches of Normandy on 6 June 1944. Code-named Operation Neptune, the Normandy landings made up the largest seaborne invasion in history and played a crucial role in liberating Western Europe from Nazi occupation.
The invasion claimed the lives of thousands of allied soldiers. These brave men – many just teenagers – left their families and their futures behind to liberate Western Europe from the grip of the Nazis. We must remember the sacrifices they made for the freedoms we enjoy today.
The official D-Day Anniversary Proclamation was read in Penzance, Newlyn and Mousehole this morning by the Penzance Town Crier along with a short service and ceremony at both Penzance and Mousehole attended by the Mayor of Penzance.
Many thanks to Penzance and Heamoor Royal British Legion Branches, Penzance Community Fire Station, local veterans and members of the public who joined us at Battery Rocks this morning.
Many thanks to Mousehole Royal British Legion for coordinating the ceremony which took place at the war memorial in Mousehole Harbour. There will be a second commemoration service at Mousehole War Memorial this Sunday at 11:30am which members of the public are welcome to attend.
We will remember them.
Prayer said by the Mayor’s Chaplain on the day:
Heavenly Father, you created humanity in your image & you gave us the wonderful gift of free will, but unlike you, we use our free will to hurt, maim, oppress, damage & destroy, for this we are so, so, sorry!
We thank you on this day 80 years ago for all the young men who fought for our freedom, we thank you for their courage, we thank you for their fearlessness, we thank you that they did not give up. They pressed on even when they saw their friends falling around them.
We thank you for victory over Nazi Germany. We pray oh God, that you would help us to learn from what happened 80 years ago, we pray that as many veterans say, we would ‘stop talking war & start talking peace.’ We pray, that we would continue to stand against those who would dominate & destroy nations. We pray, that you would give us the wisdom, understanding & fortitude that we need to do right by you & the family of humanity.
Heavenly Father we ask this in the name of Jesus our Lord & Saviour.
Amen
(Tap the photos below to expand)
