Appeal for D-Day families (From Salisbury Journal)
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Appeal for D-Day families
10:00am Tuesday 11th September 2012 in News By Miranda Robertson
A CHARITY is calling on descendents of soldiers who took part in D-Day to saddle up for a trip down memory lane.
MAG (the Mines Advisory Group), is searching for relatives of Dorsetshire Regiment soldiers and others that participated in the landmark invasion, to follow the footsteps of their heroic ancestors for a cycling event.
The event will raise funds for MAG, a Nobel Peace Prize-winning charity whose work to clear landmines and destroy weapons helps some of the world’s poorest people rebuild their lives after war.
The trip is tracking the journey from Portsmouth to Normandy, including Gold Beach, where on June 6, 1944, as part of the British 50th Infantry division, the regiment landed for the historic Allied assault on German-occupied France.
Operation Overlord, or ‘D-Day’ as it became known, marked the start of the invasion of Nazi Europe and signalled a major turning point in the Second World War.
Organiser Lesley Achim, said that there was already a lot of interest in the heritage cycle.
She said: “Our participants range from history enthusiasts to those who simply want to support MAG’s lifesaving work. But for many it’s an opportunity for to pay homage to family heroes who played a part in one of the 20th century’s defining moments.
“We’re keen to bring together as many as possible of the ancestors of those courageous men."
To find out more, visit maginternational.org/ddaycycle or contact Lesley on 0161 238 4886 or email Lesley.Achim@maginternational.org .
