Events in Tenby, Saundersfoot and Amroth will mark the 80th anniversary of the D Day landings from village both vi Watch Video

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✓ Published: 06-Jun-2024

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A string of events in Tenby, Saundersfoot and Amroth on June 6 - will mark the 80th anniversary of the D Day landings, highlighting the part some of Pembrokeshire’s beaches played in the rehearsals for the landings.<br/>Amroth is commemorating the historic D Day events with a beacon lighting ceremony on Thursday, June 6.<br/>A year prior to the D-Day landings, Amroth, and surrounding beaches, was used for a logistics learning and preparation practice. <br/>This rehearsal was known as Exercise Jantzen, and helped the D-Day landings be a huge success. <br/>The area was placed under military control, a curfew and residents’ IDs put in place. The beach contained coasters, landing craft and amphibious vehicles.<br/>Residents were banned from the beaches during the exercise, and police enforced a curfew. <br/>Several roadways were bulldozed through the natural bank of pebbles which lined Amroth beach. This weakened local sea defences, and eventually the Government helped to fund sea walls and groynes. <br/>An abandoned landing craft was visible on Amroth beach for years, until it settled below the sand.<br/>The Allies learnt a great deal from Exercise Jantzen, including many of the shortcomings of unloading equipment from beached ships and barges. <br/>The failings may have proved to the military authorities that the most efficient way of unloading troops and equipment at a secured beachhead was to build an artificial harbour. <br/>Ultimately, this is what happened at Normandy with the building of Port Winston at Arromanches.<br/>According to local folklore, Prime Minister Winston Churchill was one of the interested spectators who witnessed Exercise Jantzen and he drank tea at a hostelry in Wiseman’s Bridge where the beach was also used for the exercise.<br/>On the day of the anniversary, at 7.25am there will be the raising the Flag of Peace at Amroth’s flagpole, and a reading of the Proclamation.<br/>In the evening at the seaside village, at 6.30pm the Amroth Church Bell will sound with a ‘Ring Out For Peace’; before an International Tribute is read out at 9pm; and then the lighting of the beacon at 9.15pm.<br/>Everyone is welcome to join in and remember the historic event, the bravery and sacrifice of the military troops and give thanks for the freedom we enjoy today.<br/><br/>In Tenby, the Mayor Cllr. Dai Morgan, fellow councillors, representatives of Tenby Royal British Legion and local cadet units, will leave Castle Square at The Harbour at approximately 8.50pm on June 6 to process up to Castle Hill.<br/>There, following the reading of the International D-Day Tribute, Cllr. Morgan will light Tenby’s beacon to form part of a UK wide chain of Beacons and Lamp Lights of Peace at 9.15pm.<br/><br/>Saundersfoot harbour will host a D-Day Remembrance Service on Saturday, June 8.<br/>With the 80th anniversary of the D Day landings taking place this month, the service hosted by the Community Council will take place on the decking area at 1 pm