Westhoughton marks D-Day 80th anniversary

Westhoughton town mayor Neil Maher and deputy town mayor Gillian Wroe at the 80th anniversary of D-Day commemoration

Westhoughton town mayor and veteran Neil Maher led Westhoughton’s commemorations of the 80th anniversary of D-Day this week.

A short service was held at Westhoughton Cenotaph to mark the historic milestone. Around 50 people attended.

It was followed by a church service later in the day at St Bartholomew’s Church led by Reverend Carol Pharaoh and attended by Councillor Maher and his wife and mayoress, Linda Maher.

Reverend Carol Pharaoh with Town Mayor Neil Maher and Mayoress Linda Maher

June 6, 2024 marked the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings along the Normandy coast during World War II. This event ultimately led to the liberation of Europe.

Councillor Maher, who is a veteran himself, reflected on his own experiences: “In 1982 I disembarked SS Canberra to land at San Carlos Bay as part of the task force to retake the Falkland Islands. I was very conscious I was carrying a ridiculous amount of personal equipment that weighed as much as me, and was being taken to the shore on a small venerable vessel, and if I ended up in the water my chances of survival was negligible. Left with my thoughts I awaited my fate.

“However, once ashore I parked those thoughts until 18 years later when I watched the beach landing scenes in Saving Private Ryan. I realised I’d tasted a small slither of this awful reality, and I was in awe of their much greater experience (adrenaline, fear, smell, noise, confusion) and sacrifice that our soldiers, sailors, airmen and not forgetting their families left behind gave for us and our today. We should and will remember them.”

Ahead of the D-Day celebrations, fellow veteran and Westhoughton town councillor Sarita Chohan joined councillors David Wilkinson and Gillian Wroe in volunteering their time to clean up the cenotaph.

Councillors David Wilkinson and Sarita Chohan pictured cleaning the cenotaph