JANE BRYSON HAD PROMINENT ROLE IN D DAY COMMEMORATIONS
Jane Bryson, Wife of Carlton Town TV staff member John Bryson, had a prominent role in the commemorations of the 80th anniversary of D Day in Loughborough.
Jane’s Dad, Bill Robinson, was a Yeoman Signaller in the Royal Navy, on board HMS Scorpion, part of the 23rd Destroyer Flotilla.
ON D Day, 6th June 1944, HMS Scorpion sailed from Portsmouth to the Allied landing beaches in Normandy. On board was American Admiral Harold Stark, Scorpion therefore being his flagship.
Arriving off the coast of Normandy on D Day, Scorpion stayed there for many days.
John and Jane took Bill to Normandy twenty years ago to commemorate the 60th anniversary at an open air service in Hermanville sur Mer, part of Sword Beach, where Bill met two officers from the Scorpion who he had not seen since 1945!
In April this year the Mayor of Charnwood was looking for someone with military connections to light the beacon in Loughborough’s town park, Queens Park, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D Day.
Jane, aside from her Dad’s wartime service, served for twenty years as a member of the Territorial Army, retiring from the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps (V) with the rank of Major.
To say Jane felt honoured when the Mayor of Charnwood, Councillor Dr Julie Bradshaw MBE, asked Jane to light the beacon is putting it mildly! Both of Jane’s parents served in World War 2, Jane’s Mum Kit being in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF).
On the night itself, beacons were lit throughout the whole country at 9.15 pm, Jane lighting the Loughborough beacon right on time.
Afterwards Jane said ‘To be asked to light the beacon was an honour, not just for me but for my parents’ wartime service, particularly my Dad on D Day. Dad sadly passed away in 2020, three months short of his 100th birthday, but I know he would have been proud of my contribution to tonight’s event’
Jane is pictured in the distance in the white hard hat lighting the beacon.
