South Tyneside to join in with national beacon lighting to mark D-Day’s 80th anniversary

South Tyneside will be taking part in the lighting of a beacon to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day as communities across the UK and France come together to commemorate the historic event.

The beacon lighting will see thousands of beacons lit across both countries on Thursday, June 6.

Here in the borough, activities will began at 8am with a Proclamation being read out by the Mayor of South Tyneside, Cllr Fay Cunningham, on the steps of South Shields Town Hall.

South Tyneside Council has confirmed that this will be livestreamed on the local authority’s Facebook page and will be made available for playing back on its YouTube channel.

Then at 8.30pm on June 6, an hour-long event will take place at the Lawe Top, in North Marine Park, to mark the beacon lighting ceremony.

The beacon will be lit at 9.15pm by the Lord Lieutenant Ms Lucy Winskell OBE, which will also include a special tribute being read out by the Mayor.

Speaking ahead of D-Day next week, the Mayor of South Tyneside said: “On Thursday, June 6, communities will come together to mark 80 years since D-Day and pay tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of all those who lost their lives during the Allied invasion and helped to secure the freedoms we enjoy today.

“We are incredibly proud to play our part in this momentous occasion.

“The event in South Tyneside will be a fitting tribute on this prestigious anniversary and will give people an opportunity to come together, reflect and pay their respects.

“It will be spectacular.”

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As well as The Beacon lighting on the Lawe Top, Littlehaven Beach will also be lit with lanterns and World War II characters, representing air, land, sea and an “unsung hero” - all of whom will tell their war stories.

The RNLI, Sea Cadets and other organisations will also be forming a flotilla to watch the historic commemorations from the harbour.

Communities across South Tyneside are being urged to come and get involved in at the beacon lighting at the Lawe Top and with the actors on Littlehaven Beach.

D-Day, which took place on June 6, 1944, was the largest air, land and naval operation in history.

The landing of the allied forces on the Normandy beaches represented a beacon of light for the world during a dark period of the Second World War and ultimately turned the tide of the conflict.