Decision not to light D-Day beacon being reviewed

The beacon on Dunstable Downs, has stood for decades and is lit to commemorate certain events

The National Trust has said it was reviewing a decision not to light a beacon to mark the D-Day landings in a town where a key decision was made about the mission.

The charity, which manages Dunstable Downs, in Bedfordshire, had previously said "it was not in the position" to commemorate an event onsite due to costs.

Dr Nick Curt, the president of the Dunstable Downs Rotary Club, said the beacon should be lit and the decision had not been "carefully thought through".

Jean Yates, a Dunstable historian and author, said during World War Two The Met Office relocated to the town and it helped persuaded 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.

Dunstable Downs in Bedfordshire is the highest point in the East of England and offers views of rolling chalk grasslands

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

Mr Curt said: "This is not a good decision. I don't think it's been carefully thought through.

"This is a very important anniversary. I think the National Trust need to think again."

And Ms Yates added the town had played "one of the most important roles" during the 1939 to 1945 conflict.

"We had The Met Office move here during the war for safety reasons," she said.

"D-Day depended on the weather, Eisenhower wanted to go on June 5 and it was Dunstable that persuaded him that it wasn't safe.

"We would have lost about half a million lives if we had gone on the fifth."

The National Trust said: "Sadly, we are not in a position to run a beacon lighting event at Dunstable Downs to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.”

It added: "Whilst the offer from Dunstable Town Council to contribute towards the costs for this event is greatly appreciated, the additional funds and staffing required to put on a lighting event of this size, safely, is not something we’re currently able to achieve as a charity, alongside our other events and conservation work."

Troops landed on Omaha beach near Vierville-sur-Mer, France, on 6 June 1944

It later updated its statement to say it was "working to see whether there is more we can do to make it possible to light the beacon safely".

A spokeswoman said it needed "partners locally to help" and it would "need the support of third parties to ensure the safe running of an event of this scale, given the very small team in the local area".

The charity said it would "never forget the sacrifice made on D-Day or the selfless courage of the veterans of Normandy".

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