Historical memory is important, but not as important as cross-border bureaucracy. Hundreds of British soldiers parachuted into the fields of Normandy on Wednesday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day saw it for themselves as Her Majesty’s soldiers touched down and met on French soil, alongside jubilant faces, applause and glitter. Customs officers asking for their passports. The memory of the Second World War can be important; But as you know, so is Brexit (and its consequences).

The picture they left behind is certainly intriguing.

A salute to D-Day success. That was the idea. Hundreds of paratroopers who landed in fields near Sanneville in Normandy did just that on Wednesday. Their purpose was to attend events commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day. More precisely, the purpose of the paratroopers was to remember the event that took place in the same region of Northern France on June 6, 1944, in which thousands of soldiers participated. Allied airborne divisions set out behind Nazi army lines in the middle of the night.

Add force. The event was about memory and symbolism, so the organizers decided to bring together more than 400 paratroopers of different nationalities. The France 3 network mentions 274 soldiers of the British troops, 40 Belgians and 30 Americans, as well as some media outlets. Le ParisianNote that there are also members of the airborne units of Canada and France. After all, this was about paying tribute to the thousands of Allied paratroopers who risked their lives in the same area 80 years ago.

From applause and passports. The event was emotional. Thousands of residents came to the landing site in Sannerville, wanting to watch the paratroopers’ demonstration and remember the success of the Normandy landings. But there were more than curious people on the land and enthusiasts of the Second World War. When the paratroopers touched down, they were greeted by Customs and Border Control officials who were provided with desks, computers and scanners.

Their purpose, of course, is to request documents from newly arrived soldiers. They were particularly interested in the passports of UK paratroopers.

But… So why? Because history rules, but bureaucracy and Brexit rule even more. Since the UK left the EU, British citizens wishing to enter one of the community bloc’s 27 states must undergo tougher checks and have their passports stamped. And this is true for both tourists and soldiers attending D-Day commemorations, as was evident this week in Normandy.

Because the Americans were spared the sight of their paratroopers showing their passports at Sannerville, he explains GuardianThey were flying from France and had already completed the procedures. No checks were requested from the Belgians.

A special welcome. “This is a customs office specifically authorized for this action. We usually carry out the checks at our border posts in Ouistreham,” border control official Jonathan Montio told France 3. Customs has a border surveillance function and therefore we carry out immigration checks by verifying their passports.

“Very small price”. As Brigadier General Mark Berry explained to the British newspaper, the reception between customs officials, scanners and passports took British paratroopers by surprise. Sun The overall balance was positive. “This is something we haven’t experienced before, but given the welcome we’ve encountered in other ways, it seems like such a small price to pay to come to France.” His intention, he insisted, was to pay tribute to the soldiers who jumped behind enemy lines in 1944 “with much less sophisticated equipment.”

Not everyone on the other side of the Channel took it so well. SunBritain, which clearly positioned itself in favor of Brexit during the campaign, yesterday published a sharp report on what was happening in Normandy, with a resounding headline that left little doubt as to how it saw what happened: “WHAT? The ridiculous moment paratroopers experienced D-Day “Brits were forced to show their passports to French border chiefs after the launch.”

Image | Liberty Castle (Flickr)

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