An all-day event at West Lavington village hall this Saturday will remember the day, 50 years ago, when thousands protested at the military takeover of Imber.
The community on Salisbury Plain, a few miles south of West Lavington, was evacuated in December 1943 to allow training for D-Day the following June.
But after the war was over the villagers were not allowed to return and the village remains part of the Salisbury Plain Training Area to this day.
On January 22 1961, Austin Underwood, a councillor from Amesbury, organised a massive protest march from Gore Cross to Imber, causing panic in Whitehall and Downing Street.
Mr Underwood was hoping for over 200 people. In the event over 2,000 took part.
A memo from John Profumo, the then War Minister, to Prime Minister Harold Macmillan described Mr Underwood as “a bad man”.
Mr Underwood died in 1993 but his daughter Ruth, who was three years old on the day of the protest, has organised this event to keep the memory of Imber green. Miss Underwood, a musician who lives in London, said: “I have no memory of the march itself but I remember hearing about it and I go to Imber every year when they open it to the public.
“This is not about being confrontational with the Army. After all, the Army was just obeying the orders of the politicians, who are elected by us.
“It will be a day of celebration and there will be lots of music.”
The event begins at 9am with a talk on the bells of St Giles, the parish church of Imber, which still stands despite being surrounded by military manoeuvres for most of the year.
Rex Sawyer, who wrote the definitive history of the village, Little Imber on the Plain, will be on hand to tell stories about the village and its people.
There will be music from local band Browfort, and musicians Tim Steer, Tristan Cork and Miss Underwood herself.
The day concludes with a chance to meet and talk to some of the people who went on the march in 1961. Miss Underwood is also hoping that some of the few surviving villagers will also make an appearance.
She said: “If anyone who attended the 1961 protest would like to come along, we would be delighted to see them.”
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