Displaying items by tag: Live DDay BBC Coverage

6th June 2014

French Ferry Operator Plays it Part on D-Day 70th Anniversary and Not Just 'APP' Service

#FrenchD-DayFerries- As the eyes of the world will be focused on Quistreham, as previously reported, the French ferryport in northern France will be where the largest 'international' ceremonial event to commemorate the 70th D-Day Anniversary takes place this afternoon, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The allied invasion on 6 June 1944, was the largest amphibious assault ever launched and today's commerorative event (click for live TV coverage 3pm) in Ouistreham is the outer port of nearby Caen.

Royal families, heads of states and governments and world leaders and notably members of G'7' among them German Chancellor Angela Merkel, though Russian President, Vladimir Putin will be attending in his own capacity.

Due to the major event, Brittany Ferries which operates between Ouistreham (on the edge of 'Sword' Beach) and Portsmouth have diverted a scheduled round-trip sailing to Cherbourg instead. The diverted sailing from the UK port by Mont St. Michel is expected to arrive in Cherbourg at 16.00, one hour after the start of the major international commemorative event.

The Normandy port on the Cotentin Peninsula is as previously reported on Afloat.ie, is where the Breton based operator runs a service to the Hampshire port as well as to Poole in neighbouring Dorset.

Portsmouth was one of the key strategic locations across the UK south coast, where thousands of Allied troops left for Normandy 70 years ago and landed on Sword Beach, the easternmost of the five Normandy code-named beaches where more than 150,000 men came ashore. Thousands of men and indeed women were lost in the battle to liberate occupied France.

Fittingly both ports will be marking D-Day events in remembrance and Brittany Ferries which started the Ouistreham ferry service in 1986, is also playing a part by holding on board lectures about the historic World War II event.

For many of its customers, the route to the port which is connected to Caen by the Canal de Caen de la Mer, carries an unmistakeable symbolism as the canal is also the location of the famous 'Pegasus' bridge at Benouville.

Special arrangements have also been made to book veterans aboard its ferries also to Cherbourg and Le Havre as they travel to Normandy during this first week of June to pay homage to lost comrades.To accompany these VIPs, additinal staff at its ports and on board are to welcome and look after them.

Some veterans have chosen to hold special on-deck remembrance ceremonies as they approach the Normandy coast, where Brittany Ferries' captains will reduce speed of vessels to enable wreath-laying ceremonies at sea.

The ferry operator has launched a D-Day APP for more details click HERE and much more.

As for the present day, 900,000 passengers annually take the Portsmouth-Caen route and where 'Sword' beach played such an integral and strategic role compared to the peacetime leisure activities in which we all enjoy freedom and liberty.

This is in absolute stark reality to the critical and momentous World War II event, in which those who fought saw the very same beach for the first and also their last during enemy action. Today we all have the luxury to see the France coast and not merely as a fleeting glimpse!

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