Cadets from across the city will mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in World War II tomorrow night (Thursday 6 June).
They will parade along Hove seafront leading to Hove Beacon, Kingsway, to coincide with beacon lighting ceremonies up and down the country.
The mayor of Brighton and Hove, Councillor Mohammed Asaduzzaman, members of the Royal Sussex Regiment Veterans Association and the newly formed Brighton and Hove Veterans group will attend the parade, to be held at 8.45pm.
The ceremony will celebrate the “light of peace” that emerged out of the darkness of war and remember the military operation that brought about the liberation of north west Europe from Nazi occupation.
Councillor Amanda Grimshaw, the council’s armed forces champion, said: “It’s an honour to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, a supreme feat of strategy, skills, unity and courage which shaped the world as we know it today, and pay tribute to all those who lost their lives and whose lives have been irrevocably changed.
“Eighty years on, we must make sure that the extraordinary bravery and sacrifice of these men and women are never forgotten and that their hope for better world and yearning for freedom, peace and human rights continue to shine within future generations.
“I invite everyone to come mark this occasion with our cadets and learn of the wonderful opportunities cadets provide for our young people to engage, thrive and grow.”
The D-Day landings on Tuesday 6 June 1944 marked the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe by Allied forces, when troops from Britain, the US, Canada and France attacked German forces.
It was the largest military naval, air and land operation ever attempted, with more than 5,000 ships and landing craft setting down more than 130,000 troops on five separate beaches in Normandy.
The city has longstanding links to supporting veterans, with the former St Dunstan’s centre in Ovingdean helping to rehabilitate blind veterans since it opened in 1938, until the charity, Blind Veterans UK, relocated to Rustington this year.
The Office for National Statistics said that 5,618 people in Brighton and Hove said that they were veterans at the last census in 2021 – 2 per cent of usual residents aged 16 and over.
80 years ago those heroes kept the fascists out yet the Border force are bringing in the mslm terrorists and Brighton appoints a mslm mayor – could not make it up – irony of ironies!
yet the RBL decided to shut the brighton and hove branch of the RBL?? probably as they could only raise 64 members. so asin many other towns the veterans form their own support group.