Hundreds of people gathered on Littlehampton Seafront on Thursday 6 June to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day. The Town’s Beacon was lit as part of a national celebration which saw more than 1,500 beacons being lit throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories.

The event opened with a performance from Littlehampton Sea Cadets which was followed by the Mayor of Littlehampton, Councillor Sean Lee reading a poem of reflection. Assisting the Mayor in lighting the beacon was Mike Northeast whose late father and local resident, Stan Northeast, was a D-Day veteran. 

Speaking about the event, a Town Council spokesperson said: “It was lovely to see so many members of our community come together to remember the bravery of those who sacrificed their lives 80 years ago. We would like to thank the Littlehampton Sea Cadets for their wonderful performance and West Sussex Deputy Lieutenant, Caroline Nicholls who joined us for this significant anniversary.”

Littlehampton Museum has a dedicated exhibit “D Day 80 Littlehampton” which explores Littlehampton’s involvement in the preparations for D-Day. The Museum is open Monday to Saturday and is free to enter.