Commemorative D-Day lapel pin badges, hand-crafted from the beach where giants once stood and fell, are being sold to raise cash for the Royal British Legion.
The stunning limited edition poppy pieces have been made using sand from Gold Beach and metal shavings from the landing craft LCT 7074, which played a pivotal role in the fabled Second World War Operation.
It has been designed as a lasting tribute to those who served and sacrificed on D-Day.
All the money raised from sales of the £45 brooches will go to the Royal British Legion which supports the Armed Forces community.
Nearly 25,000 men stormed on Gold beach on June 6, 1944 with the objective of capturing the town of Bayeux and the Caen-Bayeux road, and to link up with the Americans at Omaha.
High winds caused the tide to rise more quickly than expected, concealing the beach obstacles underwater. By the end of the day British troops had advanced about six miles inland and joined with troops from the Canadian 3rd Division, who had landed on Juno Beach to the east.
The most audacious amphibious and airborne assault in history claimed the lives of 22,442 British soldiers.
Their selfless sacrifice is immortalised at the stunning British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer, which overlooks Gold Beach between Arromanches and Courseulles.
Bernard Morgan, 100, the youngest RAF sergeant to land in Normandy on D-Day, said, “The pin is crafted with sand from Gold Beach, which is where I landed 80 years ago. Gold Beach was one of the better landing points on D-Day, but I can still vividly remember seeing dead bodies scattered all over the beach as I came ashore, and that is a sight that will stay with me forever.”
Each pin is accompanied by a commemorative certificate that shares the experiences of four surviving D-Day veterans and the names of all the lionhearts who served on a day that help shape the world.
Veteran Alan Lock, co-founder of Icarus Originals which made the pin badges, said: “The D-Day landings represented a pivotal turning point in history, signalling the start of the downfall of Hitler’s oppressive regime. Therefore, it held paramount significance for us to encapsulate the spirit of this historic battle within the materials employed in fashioning the poppy pin. We are delighted with the outcome.”
Leanne Western-Wise, of the Royal British Legion, said: “We’re delighted to release such a special pin to remember all those who served and sacrificed in the D-Day landings 80 years ago.
“We mustn’t forget the many thousands in the Armed Forces who risked their lives to fight for the freedoms we enjoy and take for granted today. The money raised from this pin goes towards ensuring the Royal British Legion can continue its vital work supporting serving and ex-serving personnel and their families.”
https://www.poppyshop.org.uk/
