D-Day Anniversary Events in Cornwall

On Saturday (June 1) Trebah Garden held its annual Military Day, which this year had special significance, marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the garden’s involvement in the largest seaborne invasion in history.

The Family Day of Remembrance and Remembrance welcomed veterans and guests, saw military vehicles drive down the beach where soldiers embarked in 1944 and featured performances from Kernow Pipe and Drums, Culdrose Military Wives Choir and Rachel Best. Later in the afternoon a short memorial service was held, including the Last Post and Reveille, before a helicopter wreath laying at sea, assisted by RNAS Culdrose, the RNLI and Helford River Gig Club.

Trebah played a major role in D-Day and hosted thousands of American GIs who, after months of preparation and training, left the quiet Cornish beach for the treacherous battlefield of Omaha Beach in Normandy, France.

Near their boarding, the beach was converted for military use and the original granite house was dynamited. A large jetty was constructed in the middle of the bay and flexible ‘chocolate block’ concrete mat laid to cover the shingle and allow vehicle access.

On June 1, 1944, a 7,500-man regiment of the US 29th Infantry Division, along with their tanks, guns, and transport, left Trebah’s beach in ten 150-foot flat-bottomed landing craft LSTs. For five days they fought their way through enormous seas to the Isle of Wight and then moved on to the D-Day assault, landing on Omaha Beach in Normandy on June 6, where they suffered heavy casualties.

In the 1960s the beach was partially restored by the garden’s then owner Donald Healey, of Austin-Healey automobile fame, although even today reminders of Trebah’s wartime contribution are still very visible in the concrete that remains on one side of the beach and Chocolate. block mat that was reused on nearby trails.

The annual military day began when the garden was owned by Major Tony MBE MC (1917 – 2014) and Eira Hibbert (1917 – 2009). After a decorated military career during the Second World War, including fighting at Arnhem and receiving the Military Cross in 1945, Tony and Eira bought Trebah in 1981. Together they began a program of work to restore the garden to its former glory. formerly before the house, garden and cottages passed to the Trebah Garden Trust in 1990.

Speaking about Military Day, Trebah CEO Jon Cummins says: “Military Day is much more than an event for us at Trebah. It is vital that we play our part in commemorating the brave men and women who embarked on Trebah Beach, highlight what happened here as part of our wider local history and continue to host the annual Military Day which has become a tradition per se. The team and I were once again proud to work with the Regimental Parachute Association and all the other groups and associations supporting the occasion and, importantly this year, to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.”

Tom French, Trustee of the Royal Cornwall Branch of the Regimental Parachute Association, says: “For over 25 years we have commemorated the brave deeds of the men of the US 29th Infantry Division at Trebah. The Royal Cornwall Branch of the Regimental Parachute Association’s link with Trebah Garden began through one of our late presidents, Major Tony Hibbert, and we will continue to remember the sacrifice made by that generation.”

The whole team at Trebah would like to thank the Regimental Parachute Association, the Royal Cornwall Branch and Mawnan Smith WI for making this special Military Day possible.