A French town in Normandy has apologised over a “mistake” in not flying the Union Jack in its D-Day celebrations.
Carentan traditionally flies all of the flags of the Allies during its annual commemorations.
But this year, pictures of flag bunting appeared to show the Union Jack missing, while flags of EU member states, the EU flag itself, and the flags of the US and Canada were present.
A town spokesperson told the Daily Mail: “We admit to a simple and honest mistake.”
He added that the town will play God Save The King, alongside the Star Spangled Banner and other national anthems on their official ceremony on June 2.
Those visiting the picturesque town had voiced disappointment at the omission as 11,000 UK troops were killed in the landings.
Engineer Neil Geddes, 59, of Fleetwood, Lancashire, told the Sun newspaper: “It’s wrong, considering our involvement in France’s evacuation and liberation.”
Pointing to the flags of Switzerland, Sweden and Ireland, all of whom were neutral in the war, he said: “They have no right to flags here, when it was us who battled the Nazis.”
His friend, Gordon Bridge, 83, added: “For the brave contribution our country gave to defeating evil we should never be forgotten.”
Because of its proximity to the French coastline, Carentan was a vital town for the Allies to capture during the D-Day operation, which saw tens of thousands of soldiers land on French shores during WW2.
Around 10,000 allied soldiers were killed in the operation, including thousands of troops from the UK and US.
It took Allied troops six days of bitter fighting to liberate the town and maintain the area between the two landing beaches of Utah Beach and Omaha Beach.
June will mark the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings on 6 June 1944, with a series of major commemorations and events planned across the UK and in France.
Also known as D-Day, the historic operation saw the Allied Forces mount a large-scale invasion of Nazi-occupied France that ultimately tipped the course of the Second World War in the Allies’ favour.
The King and Queen, accompanied by The Prince of Wales but not Kate, will attend the UK’s national commemorative event in Portsmouth as well as events in Normandy.
Meanwhile, the Princess Royal will unveil a statue of a Second World War Canadian Royal Regina Rifleman and attend a reception in Normandy.
