News Archive - recent events and activities at the D-Day Museum

Presentation of landing craft model to the D-Day Museum

On 30 September, a model Landing Craft, Mechanised (LCM) was presented to the D-Day Museum on behalf of members of the Aldershot Branch of the Normandy Veterans Association. The 1/16th scale model was donated by its maker, Peter Williams. The model is now on display in the D-Day Museum. The LCM could carry a light tank, up to 60 troops, or a large quantity of supplies, and they played a significant part in the D-Day Landings. The number on the model - LCM 644 - does not belong to a specific landing craft, but represents the date of D-Day.

Above: veterans Lou Trindler and Eric Miles inspect the model.
Below: The presentation of the model to the D-Day Museum. Peter Williams, who made the model, is holding it in this photograph.
(Photos: Lt Rolf Williams RN)

Portraits of Normandy veterans

During June the D-Day Museum worked with Solent Camera Club to take portrait photographs of Normandy veterans and people involved in the preparations for D-Day. The photographs will form a permanent record that will be kept in the museum's archives, and will be displayed inside the museum. In due course the photographs will be available here on our website.

For more information, click here (press release). Photo: Normandy Veteran Frederick Lee was one of those photographed for the project.

65th anniversary of D-Day

6 June 2009 was the 65th anniversary of D-Day. A range of events took place both inside the D-Day Museum and elsewhere in Portsmouth.

Right: D-Day tank off Selsey, Sussex. On 6-7 June 2009, Southsea Sub Aqua Club put on a display about several tanks and bulldozers that had been bound for Juno Beach in Normandy on D-Day, but did not make it over there and are now resting on the sea bottom not far off the Sussex coast. (Photo: Martin Davies)

Pegasus Bridge model at the D-Day Museum

During the May 2009 half term, Mark, John and Bunty Votier displayed their huge model of Pegasus Bridge in Normandy at the D-Day Museum. The model is 12ft long and accurately depicts Pegasus Bridge at Benouville as it was on 6 June 1944. This vital bridge was seized by British airborne troops in the first minutes of D-Day.

Visit by Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, Thursday 30 April 2009

On 30 April 2009, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh visited the
D-Day Museum and Overlord Embroidery. They met Normandy veterans and young people from local schools and youth groups, including some who had taken part in the Discovering D-Day project. They also met some of the people who made the Overlord Embroidery (artist Sandra Lawrence and embroiderers from the Royal School of Needlework), and some of the Embroidery's trustees. (photos: Matt Sills)

Right: The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are greeted by a crowd as they arrive at the
D-Day Museum.

Below: The Queen meets Normandy veterans Frank Rosier and Eddie Wallace from the Portsmouth Branch of the Normandy Veterans Association, infront of the Overlord Embroidery.

In Stitches

"In Stitches" festival of Stitching, April-May 2009
The “In Stitches” Festival of Stitching and Embroidery celebrated the 25th anniversary of the opening of the D-Day Museum, and the 35th anniversary of the completion the Overlord Embroidery, which is housed in the museum at Portsmouth. Activities included an artist in residence, drop-in family embroidery events, and workshops with artists June Heap and Clare Proctor.