D-Day 80th Anniversary in Epsom

Surrey Lieutenancy was represented today at the Epsom and Ewell Borough Council D-Day Service to commemorate the 80^th anniversary of the Normandy Landings on 6 June 1944 in Epsom Town Centre.

The service was conducted by the Mayor’s chaplain Revd Rosemary Donovan and in attendance were His Worshipful the Mayor of Epsom and Ewell Councillor Steve Bridger and his wife the Mayoress, local borough councillors and aldermen, council Chief Executive Jackie King and members of the Royal British Legion and Veterans.

Mary Zoeller DL was asked to read an extract from the work “despatches from the heart”, a compilation of letters home. The letter I read was written by Captain Gerald Ritchie who commanded A Company, 12th (Yorkshire) Parachute Battalion containing a vivid account of his experiences during the parachute landings in Normandy on D-Day.

Poems were ready out by students from Ewell Castle School and after the Last Post was played the Mayor laid a wreath containing flowers representing the last (in England) and first (in France) things of beauty seen by these brave soldiers. The event concluded with the National Anthem.

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