Anniversary of D-Day in Hexham, Tynedale celebrated

The Allied invasion of Normandy took place on June 6, 1944.

For our latest edition of nostalgia, we looked back through the years to find out how we reported on D-Day in Hexham and Tynedale.

The D-Day report from the Hexham Courant in June 1944 (Image: Newsquest)

The operation was the largest combined air, land, and naval operation in history. 156,000 British, American and Canadian troops landed on Normandy's beaches, and thousands of lives were lost.

By the end of D-Day, the Allies had established a foothold in France. Just 11 months later, Germany was defeated and the war was over.

The Hexham Courant reported the story at the time under the headline 'Army of liberation crosses channel,' proclaiming 'The Invasion of Europe from the West had begun'.

READ MORE: Veteran remembers D-Day 75 years on

D-Day Service in Hexham (Image: Dave Hewitson)

The report stated: "When people clamoured for a 'Second Front' few visualised the enormous task involved. 

"It is true that in 1914 and again in 1939 we transported without loss our original expeditionary forces across the Channel.

"But to transport the armies of liberation in June 1944 is an entirely different proposition and some idea of the enormity of the first task of the Royal Navy and the Merchant Navy may be judged from the fact that some 4,000 ships and thousands of smaller craft were taken across the Channel on Tuesday morning.

D-Day Service in Hexham (Image: Dave Hewitson)

"The collection of convoys under conditions of secrecy was a stupendous task. The weather caused great anxiety and made it necessary for the operation to be postponed for 24 hours. 

Representatives from the forces lower the standard at 11am to the sound of the last post in Hexham in 2014 (Image: Tony Iley)

"But the first four fences of invasion were soon successfully surmounted. The collected convoys were not bombed before leaving British ports; minesweeping was successfully carried out; the convoys were not attacked on any serious scale and the assault forces were put ashore under naval covering fire with less opposition from the enemy coastal batteries than was anticipated."

Marching at the D-Day Service in Hexham (Image: Dave Hewitson)

It was also reported by the Hexham Courant that members of Hexham Rotary Club were given a first-hand account of D-Day in 1944 when former local journalist, Captain Donald Leslie, told them about the important role played in the landings by the 50th Northumberland Division.

The 80th anniversary of D-Day will be marked in Hexham with an event organised by Hexham Town Council with Hexham Community Partnership.

The lighting of the beacon in Hexham in 2022 (Image: Supplied)

It will involve various bands performing in the evening at Hexham marketplace, before the lighting of a beacon and a closing singalong after 9pm.

A previous memorial service at Hexham Cenotaph in 2007 (Image: Tony Iley)

Ovingham’s Marcus Gatenby reflected on his role in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day's 75th anniversary. 

94-year-old Mr Gatenby joined the Royal Navy at just 17 and, after training in various types of coding, he became a signalman on a trawler which was converted to a minesweeper.

War veteran Marcus Gatenby talks about his experience of D-Day on the 75th anniversary in 2019 (Image: Kate Buckingham)