Night sky rockets to mark D-Day

Discussion in 'All Anniversaries' started by salientpoints, Jun 2, 2004.

  1. salientpoints

    salientpoints Senior Member

    From the BBC -

    Night sky rockets to mark D-Day

    Rockets will be fired into the sky across southern England on Wednesday evening in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of D-Day.

    The firing sequence is to start at Falmouth in Cornwall and end at Newhaven in east Sussex.

    It will mark the anniversary of Allied troops embarking on the Normandy landings in 1944.

    Rockets will be launched from 60 points linking the places that took part in the Operation Overlord invasion.

    St Dunstan's charity, which looks after servicemen and women blinded in the service of their country, is organising the event.

    Starting at Pendennis Point in Falmouth at 2130 BST, rockets will be launched at 30-second intervals all the way through to Newhaven Pier at approximately 2200 BST.

    Rockets are being launched from 60 points, including the main D-Day departure points in Falmouth, Dartmouth, Plymouth, Exmouth, Weymouth, Portsmouth and Brighton.

    As a final tribute, 10 rockets will be launched simultaneously from the last 10 points marking the end of the rally, and lighting the length of coast line from Selsey Bill in west Sussex to St Dunstan's National Centre in Ovingdean, Brighton.

    St Dunstan's head of public awareness, Anna Robinson, said: "We will set the skies ablaze 60 years later so that anyone along the south coast and beyond will be able to view the display.

    "It will also be a fitting tribute to the St Dunstan's D-Day Veterans who are unable to travel to Normandy."

    Ryan
     

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