AN exhibition at a Southampton pub is a stark reminder of the sacrifices made on the beaches of Normandy during the D-Day landings.

Tony Martin, from Bassett, has photographed D-Day memorials all over the world and his work is currently on show upstairs at the Dancing Man Brewery at Town Quay.

Many of the memorial features are in the US where Tony has travelled extensively.

The most poignant monument is the one to be found in the small town of Bedford, Virginia which suffered the highest number of casualties per head of population of any community in the US, and is now home to national D-Day Memorial.

The Bedford Boys, as they were known, had enlisted together and were part 116the Infantry’s A Company which led the assault on Dog Green sector of Omaha Beach (the area featured in the opening scenes of Steven Speilberg’s war epic Saving Private Ryan). Nineteen out of the 34 Bedford men were mown down by German machine gun fire as they jumped from their landing craft.

Tony’s exhibition also features the memorial to the Hampshire Regiment at Arromanches, part of Gold Beach.

Tomorrow (Saturday) to mark the 71st anniversary of the landings the pub, formerly the Wool House Museum, is staging a day of events from midday. Staff will be in Second World War costume, the premises will be decorated with bunting, and veterans have been invited along to share their stories.

The photo exhibition will run to June 30.