Shavington Village remembers war heroes in D-Day events

Crewe Tractor exhibit and other exhibits on display (1)

Shavington-cum-Gresty Parish Council has hosted a two-day exhibition to commemorate the 80th D-Day landings anniversary, writes Jonathan White.

The free-entry exhibition took place at Shavington Village Hall and included displays of artefacts, documents, memorabilia and information from the World Wars, curated by local respected historian Mark Potts.

Mark also gave a historical talk on the air raids in Crewe and Nantwich.

War heroes featured included Richard Pryce Hughes, Geoff Cockshott, Wilfred Purcell, Harry Southern and Arthur L. Brown; along with D-Day veteran Bernard Morgan in a video interview where he shared his memories and experiences.

There was also a children’s trail for fun and educational exploration, along with artwork and poetry from Shavington Primary School and Shavington Academy.

Local historian Mark Potts gives a historical talk on the air raids in Crewe and Nantwich (1) — Historian Mark Potts gives talk on the air raids in Crewe and Nantwich

A Beacon Lighting Event is taking place tonight (June 6) at St Mark’s Church field in Shavington from 9pm.

There will be an international tribute reading followed by a beacon lighting ceremony to commemorate D-Day.

Shavington-cum-Gresty Parish Council received funding from Cheshire East Council Shared Prosperity Fund designed to help Councils as part of the government’s levelling-up programme.

D-Day was the successful allied invasion of the beaches of Normandy on 6 June 1944.

The Normandy landings made up the largest seaborne invasion in history and played a crucial role in liberating Western Europe from Nazi occupation.

The allied forces’ staggering operation involved the coordinated efforts of more than 155,000 troops supported by 11,500 aircraft, and 6,900 naval vessels in an assault on five Normandy beachheads: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword.

D-Day veteran Bernard Morgan featured in a video interview (1) — D-Day veteran Bernard Morgan featured in a TV interview

Integral to its success were years of planning, intelligence gathering, and deception campaigns, as well as the courage of the thousands of brave men that stormed the beaches that day.

D-Day altered the course of history, signalling the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany.

Allied forces shattered Hitler’s Atlantic Wall, opening another major front, and affording them a crucial foothold in Western Europe.