The Royal British Legion calls on the nation to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day from home on Friday May 8th
NOW WITH A SERVICE VIDEO BY Fr JEREMY - On Friday May 8th - the 75th Anniversary of VE Day - We are asked as a Nation to reflect at 11.00am and pause for a 2 minute silence, to remember the service and sacrifice of the 2nd WW generation but also this year to reflect on the devastating impact Covid 19 has had on so many lives across the world. For those of you with access to the internet you will be able to hear stories of those who served on a VE Day livestream following the silence at the RBL website. At 3.00pm on BBC1 Winston Churchill’s victory speech will be broadcast and at 9.00pm on BBC1 you can join Dame Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll Meet Again’ to mark the 75th anniversary.
If able, at 11:02, the end of the silence, please virtually ring the Church Bells by visiting HERE - the bells cannot be rung and this will be a good way to participate - ring loudly and with open windows.
Full information and links can be found at the Royal Bitish Legion VE Day 75 site HERE
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE A SERVICE FOR VE Day 75 Video by Fr Jeremy - Alternatively CLICK HERE to go to Fr Jeremys Service Videos page.
With members of the public unable to attend VE Day 75 events, The Royal British Legion is playing a central role in the delivery of a range of remote activity, including:
- A live VE Day 75 livestream at 11.15am
- National moments of Remembrance and thanksgiving, including a Two Minute Silence
- A UK-wide singalong to Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll Meet Again at 9pm
- A VE Day learning pack for children aged 7-14 years
- An evening of memories and music in partnership with the BBC from 8pm on BBC One
Fr Jeremy comments:-
As chaplain to the Royal British Legion in Maidenhead I receive the Legion newsletter once a month. This week that letter focusses on the news that 75 years ago, households across Britain eagerly awaited news that after 6 years of conflict, the war in Europe had ended. The news came on the 8th May, 1945 and was declared Victory in Europe Day. My mother told me that she can remember the day spent with my grandparents, Edgar and Rene in Rogerstone, near Newport, South Wales as the communities came together to celebrate. However, millions of lives were lost, homes and cities had been destroyed and people had been displaced by the War. Guy Upward, Assistant Director for the RBL wrote ‘As our Nation pulls together now in the Covid 19 crisis making sacrifices to help others, we can look to the Second World War generation and learn from their resilience, determination and hope for better days to come.’
For more information from Fr Jeremy please see the Parish News (issue 8), available HERE