D-Day veteran James C Gardner OBE resident at Hermitage House Care Home in Thrapston is very proud to have been invited to light a beacon to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. The beacon will be lit at Peace Park in Thrapston on Thursday 6th June at 9.15 pm as part of a nationwide initiative to commemorate the D-Day landings. The beacon lighting is an opportunity to remember the 210,000 Allied casualties of Operation Overlord. This includes nearly 37,000 ground forces and 16,000 air forces killed in the invasion of Normandy’s Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword beaches, and the long and bloody campaign that followed.
Jim's service in the Royal Marines
Jim volunteered for military service in May 1943 and joined the Commando Training Centre for Royal Marines in Lympstone near Exeter in Devon. He served as a Coxswain and was just nineteen years old when he landed on the Normandy beach of Lion-sur-mer. He was a Corporal with a troop of twelve men, who landed on the beach at Normandy, he describes them as ‘The Lucky Ones’. Jim was awarded many medals and is especially proud of the Medal of the Legion of Honour and his Normandy Campaign medal for his role in liberating France. Later in life, Jim received an OBE for his service to the NHS.
“The staff team here at Hermitage House are delighted Jim has been asked to participate in the event in Thrapston,” said Jess Grayson, Customer Relations Manager. “Jim doesn’t like to talk about his experiences, but we know he’s very proud to have been involved and it will be a great opportunity to thank him and his comrades for their incredible service to their country”.
D-Day 80th Anniversary
The country will commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, a pivotal moment in history when Allied forces launched the largest amphibious invasion ever witnessed. In 1944, Operation Overlord involved over 5,000 ships and landing craft, deploying more than 130,000 troops across five Normandy beaches. This monumental effort led to the liberation of northwest Europe from Nazi occupation.
For more information about life at Hermitage House Care Home please contact our Customer Relations Manager Jessica Grayson at jessica.grayson@countrycourtcare.com or call 01832 430084.
