Become a School Guardian to The British Normandy Memorial

Trudi Ingles, Parent and Governor at Danes Hill School, Surrey, extols the virtues of engaging children in the history of D-Day through the British Normandy Memorial School Guardian programme

Images Courtesy of The Normandy Memorial Trust

As a child growing up in north Wales, I recall attending the Remembrance Sunday service every November after church, without fail. I was too young to fully comprehend the purpose behind this annual tradition at the time, but I was glad that it had been instilled in me, once I learnt about the particularly dark times in history that led to its institution.
In stark contrast, rather than attending church every Sunday, my children have dashed from football fixture to hockey match and passed like ships in the night as we juggled sporting commitments. However, if possible, I would make sure the children watched the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph on television and obeyed the two-minute silence to convey the importance of the occasion.

I feel strongly that my children should not take their freedom for granted and should understand the sacrifices made by others. My grandfather fought in World War One and I heard first-hand stories about the impact of World War Two on life at home in the form of evacuees coming to stay or an uncle suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (or shell shock as it was known then). As living memory of the horrors of World War Two fades, it is more challenging for our children to appreciate the reality of war and the sacrifices and suffering experienced by that generation. This is of course a good thing, but history teaches us many lessons and it is important that future generations understand and apply those lessons to the present.

The roots of World War Two lay in the domination of fascist ideologies such as Nazism and there was the very real threat that Nazi Germany would invade Britain, having conquered most of Western Europe. In May 1940 - in what became known as the Miracle of Dunkirk - over 300,000 allied troops surrounded by the enemy were safely evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk by the Royal Navy, with the help of 850 private boats. Invasion by Germany was thankfully averted when the Royal Air Force subsequently saw off the Luftwaffe (the German air force) in the Battle of Britain in 1940. The remarkable rescue at Dunkirk enabled the British Army to rebuild its forces. Virtually all its tanks, vehicles, and equipment had been abandoned on the beaches. It took another four years before Britain and its allies were able to open a major front that led to the liberation of France.

This front was opened up in Normandy, on 6 June 1944, in an operation codenamed Overlord. More commonly known as D-Day, it brought together the land, air, and sea forces of the allied armies in the largest invasion force in history. Thousands of troops of all nationalities died on D-Day and in the Battle of Normandy; without the courage and loss of those involved, the liberation of German-occupied Europe would not have been possible.

For decades, there was no memorial to commemorate the 22,442, soldiers, sailors & airmen of the United Kingdom and other nations serving under British command who lost their lives during this campaign. However, after years of campaigning by D-Day veterans, such as the late Harry Billinge MBE and George Batts MBE, a memorial was funded and built in Ver-sur-Mer. The British Normandy Memorial was officially opened on 6 June 2021 - the 77th anniversary of the Normandy landings - by the former Prince of Wales, now King Charles III.

The memorial stands on an imposing site above Gold Beach, which was one of the landing beaches for British troops on D-Day. The memorial consists of a temple-like structure containing 160 stone columns where the names of the soldiers who were killed are inscribed in chronological order from 6 June to 31 August, 1944. We visited in April and in stark contrast to the noise and chaos apparent from footage and first-hand accounts, the setting was peaceful and immaculate. Looking out towards the sea, we can only imagine the horrors facing the allied troops as they disembarked onto the heavily defended beaches. There is a bronze sculpture of three charging infantrymen coming ashore as a permanent reminder of the courage of those who fought in the battle. It was both moving and humbling to visit the memorial and reflect on the bravery and sacrifice that changed the course of history forever.

For decades, schoolchildren have visited Normandy to see the battlefields first-hand, allowing them to appreciate the colossal scale of the task that lay ahead for the allied troops in what became a pivotal event in world history. The British Normandy Memorial ensures that the debt of gratitude owed will be passed down and remembered from one generation to the next.

Echoing my own experience as a child, it can be difficult to engage children in history when events happened decades ago in foreign lands. One way of closing the gap is becoming a School Guardian to the British Normandy Memorial. The benefits of this are twofold: the memorial stays in wonderful condition for future generations and the connection as a School Guardian increases engagement with children as they learn about the legacy left behind by the veterans; the future Education and Visitor Centre will be a fundamental part of this learning experience. School Guardians commit to an annual donation of between £1k-£3k per annum for a minimum of three years. Involving pupils in ideas for fundraising is ideal, whether this be through traditional sponsored challenge events, bake sales, dress-down days or other creative ideas. The Normandy Memorial Trust will be on hand to support and promote your activities. School Guardians receive a certificate signed by veterans and your school’s name will also appear on the British Normandy Memorial website as a school dedicated to the memory of our D-Day heroes.

Visit www.britishnormandymemorial.org for further details. Sign up for the newsletter - at the bottom of the website - to receive updates on fundraising and educational elements such as stories about Veterans and those remembered on the Memorial. If you would like further information, please contact Julie at Julie.verne@normandymemorialtrust.org.