Pipers pay tribute ahead D-Day 80th anniversary

Angus Bodman and Kevin McLagan will join other pipers in the island

Guernsey pipers will come together for ten days of piping ahead of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings to pay tribute to those who served and fell.

Starting in March, pipers in the UK and Isle of Man have been playing their bagpipes at 08:00 at specific locations as part of an 80-day countdown to the anniversary on 6 June.

The first of Guernsey's tributes will be on Saturday with others taking place across the island.

Kevin McLagan from Piping Guernsey said: “We are honoured to be joining other pipers in other jurisdictions."

The Guernsey events will be held as follows:

• St Peter Port’s Parish War Memorial - 18, 21 and 26 May

• Delancey Park War Memorial - 19 May

• White Rock, St Peter Port - 20 May

• Candie Gardens, St Peter Port - 22 May

• St Saviour’s Parish War Memorial - 23 May

• Princess Elizabeth Hospital - 24 May

• St Martin’s Parish War Memorial - 25 May

• Castle Cornet, St Peter Port - 27 May

The musicians will be playing the tune Highland Laddie, which was played by Bill Millan who played his comrades ashore on Sword Beach during the D-Day Normandy landings.

Piper Angus Bodman said it was a "tune that's been chosen to mark this anniversary".

"It's a unique opportunity, we're very proud to be representing the Channel Islands," he added.