D-Day 80: Oxford hosts torch-lighting ceremony

The D-Day torch was lit at Botley Cemetery in Oxford

A commemorative torch-lighting ceremony has been held ahead of the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

The event in Oxford saw the arrival in the city of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Lighting Their Legacy torch roadshow.

Botley Cemetery hosted the event with veterans, dignitaries and school children reflecting on the Normandy landings of June 1944.

The CWGC said the tour allowed younger generations to "discover and learn".

The CWGC's torch roadshow is travelling across the UK to mark eight decades since D-Day.

The combined naval, air and land assault on occupied France on D-Day remains the largest invasion by sea in history.

Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy on 6 June 1944, marking the beginning of the liberation of Europe from the Nazis.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak handed the torch to Navy seaman D-Day veteran Peter Kent, 99 and his son Steven in London on Tuesday

The ceremony at Oxford Botley Cemetery, starting at 12:00 BST, saw veterans, young people, and attendees hear more about local stories of D-Day and witness a torch-lighting ceremony.

The cemetery contains 461 graves of members of the armed forces who were killed during World War Two.

Alongside the Lord Mayor of Oxford and the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, local pupils from North Hinksey Church of England Primary School and Matthew Arnold School attended.

Local schoolchildren were part of the commemoration event

CWGC's Michele Jennings said: "As the number of those with real experience of those historic events dwindles, we want to pass on the torch of commemoration so those human stories of sacrifice and heroism are able to be carried forward by younger generations."

The CWGC has called for improved education on significant moments including D-Day.

It published research showing one in five young people aged 18 - 24 admitted they "don't know'" the significance of D-Day.

The Oxford ceremony is one of a number of set-piece events that will be held at different locations across the UK this month, including Edinburgh, Manchester and Plymouth.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak launched the tour by handing the torch to a 99-year-old veteran of the landings, Navy seaman D-Day veteran Peter Kent, at Horse Guards, London on Tuesday.

The torch is due to eventually make its way to Portsmouth before crossing to Normandy for the official commemoration events marking the 80th anniversary on 6 June.

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