As part of the national commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, the University of Chichester is inviting local residents to join them for a special event on Thursday 6 June on their Bishop Otter campus.
The event will begin with an Act of Remembrance lead by the University’s Chaplain Reverend Dr Alison Green on Cloisters Lawn at 10.55am.
This will be followed by a public lecture by Professor Hugo Frey, Professor of Cultural and Visual History; ‘D-Day on Film: Imagining the Battle for Normandy in Pictures and Memories’. Professor Frey’s lecture will explore the story of how D-Day has been portrayed in films such as The Longest Day, The Big Red One, and Saving Private Ryan. It will explore how each generation has re-created their own stories and pictures about the D-Day landings.
The University has a unique connection to D-Day, as one of its rooms (E124) was commissioned as the Operations Room for RAF Tangmere. During the D-Day operations, RAF Tangmere played a key role, as it became the base for several squadrons for offensive actions. Throughout the war, RAF Tangmere was the control centre for both offensive and defensive squadrons.
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Chichester, Professor Jane Longmore said: “I would like to extend a warm welcome to local residents and invite them to join us as we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.”
Free tickets can be booked at https://www.chi.ac.uk/event/d-day-80th-anniversary-commemoration/