To commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, The Hunts Post is taking a look at how the news of the Normandy Landings was announced in the paper in 1944.
The weekly edition of The Hunts Post went to print on June 8, 1944 – just two days after D-Day.
The front page of that edition contained the announcement, with the headline, "How Hunts Heard the Great News – Crowds Flock to Churches".
It opened: “News of the Allied landings in France was received with quiet satisfaction throughout Hunts on Tuesday morning.
“Everywhere there was, naturally, an atmosphere of tense expectancy, but mingled with it was a sober realisation of the colossal task which was being undertaken, and a welcome absence of over-confidence.”
The story reported on what happened in Huntingdon when news broke out of the invasion: “Invasion maps appeared as if by magic at a stationer’s shop in Huntingdon High Street; little knots of people stood about anxiously discussing the latest radio bulletin; but otherwise there was little outward reaction to the tremendous events which were taking place across The Channel.
“The first desire of the people was to seek the Divine blessing upon this great and hazardous enterprise, and special services were arranged at All Saints’ and St Mary’s Churches in the evening. Both churches were crowded.”
A diary written by a Ms. F. Leppard of Great Stukeley contains the following entry on June 6, 1944: “I heard this morning that invasion took place at 6am. A service at 11am and another at 4pm. Our Gracious King spoke at 9pm, begging us all to pray.”
The Hunts Post reported that the Vicar of St Mary’s, the Rev Alexander Morris, told his congregation: “This is by far the most momentous day in all history. The news which came this morning was news which some of us could hardly believe was ever likely to come.
“For four long years the peoples of conquered Europe have been waiting for such an hour as this, and we have been preparing for it from the military standpoint.
“Our armies, navies and air forces – in the words of their Prime Minister, “everything that science could bring to our hand” – have been utilised for this great occasion.”
“Mr. Morris said he supposed all of them who could only stand and wait must sometimes feel “What can I do? My son, my husband, my father, my cousin is out there. Is it any good asking that God will look after him? Is it any good my praying?”
“If he had learned anything from the New Testament it was that Christ asked us again and again to go on asking God for those things that we needed.”
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