CITY bosses have organised a D-Day commemoration set to take place in Southampton today but residents said it is “too little, too late”.

As reported, last week Southampton City Council (SCC) was criticised for failing to organise events to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

On Friday council leader Christopher Hammond said SCC  has the utmost respect for veterans and serving military personnel.

But when asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service whether commemorative events would be organised, he would not confirm nor deny whether anything would take place.

Yesterday afternoon SCC announced that D-Day commemorations will be held at the Cenotaph in Southampton today from 10.45am to 11.15am when there will be a two-minute silence and councillor Peter Baillie, mayor of Southampton, will be laying a wreath.A series of exhibitions and events will also be held throughout the month. But residents and Southampton Itchen MP Royston Smith said what the council has organised is “too little and too late”.

Mario Spacagna, a Southampton resident whose father Ernie was a D-Day veteran,  will be attending tomorrow’s commemoration and said he was informed of the event yesterday at 4pm.

He added: “I think this is a last minute gesture after a public outcry. They had 75 years to plan and to plan a 30-minute commemoration at the cenotaph is extremely poor. Residents and veterans deserve something better. This is a last minute plan. It was not publicised before, it must be last minute. The veterans deserve something more than  a last minute plan.”

He said the event at the cenotaph is not a fitting tribute to the veterans and the part that Southampton played in invading Nazi-occupied France in 1944. MP Royston Smith added: “It would appear this is something they have thrown together because of public pressure. It is a shame.” SCC and councillor Hammond were unable to provide a comment.

The authority said the following commemorative events will also take place in the city this month : The O2 Guildhall building will be illuminated red, white and blue to commemorate D-Day on the evenings of Tuesday 4, Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 June.

On Saturday 8 June the public are being encouraged to Explore the D-Day Wall at Western Esplanade. The Maritime Archaeology Trust’s Discovery Bus will be by the D-Day Wall between 10am and 4pm where you can see the inscriptions carved 75 years ago by soldiers waiting to depart. This event also provides an opportunity to find out more about the American troops in Southampton and the ‘D-Day Stories from the Walls project’. Plus free D-Day themed family activities.

On Wednesday 12 June at 7.30pm, there is a free talk, Southampton, the Blitz and D-Day by SEE Southampton Guide, Jack Wilson, at Portswood Library.  From Wednesday 5 June the D-Day Embroidery will be on display at the SeaCity Museum  until the end of June. It is free to view next to Galley Café customers. Patrons can also enjoy the latest exhibition Southampton Stories which features a newly installed D-Day section that includes first-hand on what it was like to live in Southampton and the docks during the build up to the biggest military invasion in history from Southampton’s outstanding oral history collections. A brick from the American Wall with ‘1945’ written on it, is on display in the Gateway to the World exhibition at SeaCity Museum. (Admission to the museum applies).

Following on from D-Day is this year’s Southampton Armed Forces Day on Sunday 30 June from 10am – 6pm. This is a free event in the city centre, which will include a Parade along the streets of Southampton, followed by plenty of entertainment from live bands, military dog display, military vehicles, children’s assault course, re-enactors and more.