D-Day anniversary beacon lighting on Dunstable Downs may not go ahead as National Trust looks for help

A beacon on the Dunstable Downs might not be lit on the 80th anniversary of D-Day this June due to cost and staff numbers.

The chalk grasslands have had beacon-lighting events for years. Most recently, it was used to commemorate the late Queen’s platinum jubilee in 2022.

In June this year it will be 80 years since the D-Day landings, when Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy in 1944, changing the course of the Second World War and saving millions of lives.

But now, the beacon might not be lit as part of these celebrations. National Trust, the charity which looks after the Downs, says that help is needed to put an event on.

A spokesperson for the National Trust said: "We have listened to feedback from the local community about the lighting of Dunstable's beacon as a mark of its historical connection to D-Day. We are now working to see whether there is more we can do to make it possible to light the beacon safely. We are seeking partners locally to help.

"As with previous events, we would need the support of third parties to ensure the safe running of an event of this scale, given the very small team in the local area."

Dunstable Town Council said it was unable to comment. The council offered the National Trust £4,000 towards the event, but it is not yet known if more money is needed.

People have shared their upset about the uncertainty, given the town’s connection to D-Day. The Met Office relocated to Dunstable during the Second World War and forecasters helped to persuade General Dwight D. Eisenhower to delay the invasion by a day due to the weather.