Published: Wednesday, 29th May 2024
The borough council is to host a major commemoration on the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings and RAF Marham will exercise their Freedom of the Borough in King’s Lynn on 6 June 2024.
Serving personnel will form the Freedom Parade, which will start at King’s Lynn Town Hall at 4pm and then proceed to King’s Staithe Square to form up. Spectators are advised to get their place along the quayside and in the square by 3:30pm to get a good view.
The station was first granted the Freedom of the Borough in 1981. It allows personnel to march through the town with ‘bayonets fixed, colours flying and bands playing’. Today, the parade has become an opportunity for local people to show their support of the station and its personnel.
Cllr Paul Bland, Mayor of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, is inviting residents to mark the occasion:
“It’s been a while since the last Freedom Parade in the town. We have strong links with Royal Air Force Marham, established and deepened over many years, and we are extremely proud of them. This parade celebrates those connections and expresses our gratitude to everyone at RAF Marham for their service to our community. I’m pleased that we can also mark the Normandy Landings on the same day and hope to see lots of people lining the streets of King’s Lynn to show their support."
The RAF Marham Freedom Parade will be followed by a Cadet and Youth Parade from the Minster to King’s Staithe Square at 6pm.
The Learning and Engagement Officer at Stories of Lynn, Lizzie Joisce, has arranged free family activities in the marquees around King’s Staithe Square from 3:30pm to 5:30pm. There will be a carousel of activities for families to try, including making peg doll planes, designing, and making a D-Day medal, Spitfire colouring and decorating and air-raid shelter games. Costumed characters will be around until 4pm; a member of the Royal Navy, the RAF and a female Special Operations Executive (SOE) Spy who will be discussing their role with props and answering questions.
Tanks will be parked next to the Custom House all day and, in the evening, World War II searchlights will light up the sky and live music starts on stage in King’s Staith Square at 7:15pm from Sarah Mai, singing 1940’s classics, followed by Top Cover, the RAF Marham band at 7:45.
Following more live music, the Mayor will arrive in a 1940s jeep ahead of the D-Day lamp being lit. At 9:15 there will be a gun salute from one of the tanks and the beacon will be lit. This will be followed by 15 minutes of more live music.
RAF Marham Freedom Parade and D-Day running order
- 15:30 - Free family activities start on King's Staithe Square. Costumed characters until 16:00. Family creative activity to run until 17:30.
- 16:00 - RAF Marham Freedom Parade from Town Hall to King's Staithe Square
- 18:00 - Cadets/Youth Parade From Minster to King's Staithe Square
- 19:15 to 19:45 - Sarah Mai, 1940s Singer
- 19:45 to 20:30 - Top Cover RAF Marham Band
- 20:30 to 21:00 - Sarah Mai, returns with a second set
- 21:10 - D-Day Lamp lit
- 21:10 - Mayors Tribute/Prayers: Hymn to be sung order of service sheets to be available
- 21:15 - Beacon Lighting/Tank Gun Salute
- 21:15 to 22:00 - Sarah Mai, more songs until finish at 22:00