A 'Spirit of D-Day' revival event at the Hampshire headquarters of the operation will feature two world-first events for the 80th anniversary this summer. 

Southwick Revival's event on June 8 and 9 will be an exclusive, one-of-a-kind offering for 1940s enthusiasts. 

VIP guests at the internationally significant gathering will include descendants of the Supreme Commanders who led the allied invasion of Normandy in 1944.

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Visitors to the Revival event will enjoy a panel discussion where the likes of Susan Eisenhower and Viscount Henry Montgomery among others will share their memories and showcase artefacts and heirlooms from their family collections. 

Along with the opportunity for a visit to Southwick Park Map Room, which displays the original wall-mounted Operation Overlord map fixed in time at H Hour D Day, Southwick Revival has announced a new immersive experience to visit Fort Southwick and the Underground Headquarters.

For the first time over the 2024 Revival weekend, members of the public will be able to visit the network of tunnels dug into the chalk under Portsdown Hill to enjoy an immersive experience led by Torchlight Tours.

Visitors will be 'enlisted' and undertake a role to help deliver D-Day, recreating the daily life of the 700 personnel engaged in this key military operation.

Visitors will go back in time when the village of Southwick reverts to the 1940s, providing a nostalgic background and experiences of daily life in wartime Britain.

Throughout the weekend there will be a unique combination of entertainment for all age groups.

As well as military and vintage vehicles, there are 1940s school lessons, talks, re-enactors, guided walking tours, a best-dressed competition, steam bus rides, a vintage fair, a field gun competition, 1940s music, swing dancing, marching bands and more.

Volunteer group Southwick Revival has joined forces with Southwick Park to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

Proceeds from the event will be divided between local projects and SSAFA, which has worked for more than 130 years to help the Armed Forces, veterans and their families. Last year, more than £46,000 was donated to local causes and military charities. 

Tickets go on sale on March 17 from southwickrevival.co.uk