The 6th of June 2024 marks 80 years since the Allied Forces landed on the shores of Normandy, France. D-Day was and remains to be the largest naval, air and land operation in history. An estimated 150,000 brave men landed along five beaches spanning a 50-mile stretch of coastline in Normandy.
The High Sheriff of Hertfordshire Annie Brewster, along with Patrick Lewis, head of sales & marketing at HCL, visited Peartree Spring Primary School to speak at the assembly about the importance of remembering D-Day through lessons at school.
Brewster said: "The most important message I have for you today is to go onto YouTube, have a look for D-Day, see what actually happened, because it's really important that we don't forget what happened, so that it never happens again."
The duo enjoyed a wartime inspired lunch at the Stevenage school where they had British fish & chips as well as peas. During the presentation they covered topics including food rationing during the war and Government campaigns such as ‘Dig for Victory’ and ‘Grow Your Own’.
Lewis also visited Featherstone Wood Primary School and shared a story of his grandmother, who served as a Nurse during the war, received the British Red Cross.
He added: “I'm sure most of us in this room have grandparents or great-grandparents who were alive during the war and have many stories to tell. I urge you to go home and ask your family about their stories so that you can learn about what life was like for them during the war. It's up to each of us to carry on sharing these stories through the generations."