U-turn on Dunstable D-Day beacon decision

The beacon on Dunstable Downs was last lit in 2022 to mark Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee

The National Trust has reversed its decision not to light a D-Day memorial beacon in a place that played a key role during the World War Two mission.

The conservation charity had previously said it was unable to host an event on the Dunstable Downs in Bedfordshire, due to costs.

It has now revealed it that the beacon will be lit to mark the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings in June, "following significant local interest".

"We have now secured the funds and external support we need to help our local team put on the event," the National Trust said.

The Platinum Jubilee event brought thousands to watch the beacon lighting in June 2022

The beacon was last lit in 2022, for Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee, and more than 4,000 people gathered to watch.

Jean Yates, a Dunstable historian and author, said the town had played "one of the most important roles" during World War Two.

The Met Office had relocated to Dunstable and helped persuade the supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, that it "wasn't safe" to land on the coast of northern France on 5 June 1944.

The mission was pushed back a day and Ms Yates said “half a million lives” were saved.

Data gathered at Dunstable during World War Two was used to create weather maps used in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944

The National Trust said: "We still need time to organise our plans for car parking, first aid and toilet facilities that comes with putting on an event of this scale safely.

"We look forward to sharing the details of this commemorative evening event with the local community soon."

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