D-Day anniversary choices rued

John Major’s advisers were left fretting about “Vera Lynn causing trouble” and grumbling from veterans after the ill-fated launch of plans marking the 50th anniversary of D-Day.

Second World War veterans were unimpressed after suggested events in 1994 to remember the Normandy Landings included sand castle building contests and a Spam fritter cooking competition.

Dame Vera, the singer widely known as the Force’s Sweetheart, and famous for her rendition of The White Cliffs Of Dover, had even threatened to pull out if more appropriate events were not introduced.

New arrangements were made, but commemoration services still ran into problems, newly released files from the National Archives show.

A document titled D-Day Post Mortem sent to the prime minister from principal private secretary Alex Allan said “events last weekend went splendidly” but there were “some points to learn from”.

For example, the decision to make foreign heads of state and their spouses walk up stairs to a grand dinner at Portsmouth Guildhall was described as “pretty undignified”.

He writes: “I understand the desire to keep the television pictures, but it was pretty undignified for the wives to have to walk up the steps clutching their skirts and their hair in the very strong winds.”

Elsewhere, hymns chosen for the Drumhead service were felt to be “pretty uninspiring” and were not “ones that people could sing with gusto”.