The Royal British Legion (RBL) is today announcing its national programme of celebrations marking the historic 80th anniversary of VE Day and the end of the Second World War.
The RBL’s 80th Anniversary Tea Party and Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum will bring together the largest gathering of Second World War veterans on VE Day, Thursday 8 May.
The RBL is proud to put Second World War veterans at the heart of the VE commemorations. This will include the official programme in London, where Sir Winston Churchill announced the end of the Second World War after six years of devastating conflict, and the flagship Tea Party at the Arboretum, the nation’s year-round place to remember.
The Tea Party will bring veterans together to share recollections and celebrate what they helped to achieve 80 years ago. A Service of Remembrance will follow, which is open to members of the public, with seating allocated on a first come first served basis.
On Friday, to launch the RBL’s 80th Anniversary Tea Party at the Arboretum on VE Day, a group of Second World War veterans gathered at The Ritz London – the scene of a touching VE Day story, as Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret slipped away from Buckingham Palace to join the celebrations there that evening, in 1945.
Sharing memories over afternoon tea, the group at The Ritz London involved WWII veterans, some of whom were outside the Palace on VE Day, including:
- Joyce Wilding, 100, who was in ‘Churchill’s Secret Army’, the Special Operations Executive plotting to disrupt the Nazis behind enemy lines, said: “We went to Piccadilly where there was a stream of people singing and dancing; we joined a crocodile down Piccadilly; there were soldiers up lampposts, it was extraordinary. I always use the word joyous, because there had been those years of blackouts, air raids and bombings and so many people being killed, and gloomy times, and very worrying. Being outside the Palace, you could hardly move there were so many people cheering and singing. It was a day one would never forget. It was just a joyous occasion, and everyone went wild and mad when they saw Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret with Churchill and the King and Queen.”
- Ruth Bourne, 98, a Wren at Bletchley Park where codebreakers intercepted Nazi messages, was in London watching those famous scenes on the Buckingham Palace balcony and recalls the roaring cheers as the Royals came out to greet jubilant crowds. Ruth said: “I can remember it all so vividly to this day, there was this incredible excitement building in the crowd and everyone was thrilled when they came out on the balcony. And here we are at the 80th anniversary of VE Day. It’s such a special moment for the country and should remind us all of what we owe those who fought and those who lost their lives. I hope everyone joins in the spirit of the celebrations the Royal British Legion is laying on for the country.”
- D-Day veteran Bernard Morgan, 100, was a codebreaker during the war and still has the original telex he received two days before VE Day was officially announced to the public, which said: “German war now over, surrender effective sometime tomorrow.” He partied during the VE Day celebrations and said: “It’s great what the Royal British Legion is doing, bringing veterans together for what will be a very special day for us again. It will be an honour and a privilege to be at the National Memorial Arboretum for the 80th anniversary of VE Day – a day 80 years ago which will be forever in our memories. It’s also important to remember what everyone did for the country during the War and the sacrifices that were made.”
- Gilbert Clarke, 98, volunteered from Jamaica in 1943 to join the RAF as a mechanic after lying about his age, and is one of three million men and women from the Caribbean, Africa and South Asia who served in the British military during WWII. After crossing the Atlantic Ocean and dodging U-boats to reach the UK, he served at airbases servicing Hurricanes, Spitfires and Lancaster bombers and told how “the sky filled with planes as far as the eye could see on D-Day, flying towards Europe.” Recalling the excitement of VE Day, Gilbert said: “When we heard the news I remember celebrating - everyone was so relieved that the war was over. I volunteered from Jamaica out of a sense of duty, to play my part in ensuring we left the world a better place for everyone.”
- D-Day veteran Joe Mines, 100, has rarely spoken about his wartime experiences, such were the horrors of what he witnessed when he landed in Normandy on June 6, 1944. He has been a loyal supporter of the Royal British Legion for many years, raising around £2,000 annually for the RBL’s Poppy Appeal through his collecting at Lakeside in Essex. Joe is thrilled to be joining our VE Day celebrations, and said: “I was a very reluctant soldier, I didn’t want to be in the battlefield at all, I thought I would be doing admin duties because of my age, but they suddenly decided they needed an extra five men to go and do mine clearing, and I got picked because of my surname! I was never trained for combat, but you just had to go and do it. I’m proud to be joining the Royal British Legion’s commemorations, to be part of this very special anniversary, and to remember what it was like celebrating Victory after so much fighting, and to honour those who never came home.”
- Doreen Mills, 96, who was a 17-year-old wartime evacuee, was working in an ammunitions factory at the time, supporting the war effort. She said: “I have fabulous memories of this day when I went with my sisters and friends to celebrate in Piccadilly. We danced all night in the crowds, everyone knew the two Princesses, Elizabeth and Margaret, were among us, it was so exciting. My dad was worried as there were crowds and crowds of people and wanted us girls home, but I can still feel the excitement when I look at photos or news reels.”
In January, the Royal British Legion issued an invitation for Second World War veterans and their families to register to get involved in VE and VJ 80th anniversary events. As a result of this, many veterans expressed an interest in attending the Arboretum. Based on current registration, the Arboretum is likely to host the largest group of WWII veterans in attendance on VE Day.
Registrations to join 80th anniversary events for VE and VJ Day in August remain open on the RBL’s website until 7 April. Registrations are open to anyone who served in WWII as well as those who contributed to the war effort such as munition workers, Bevin Boys, those conscripted back home, from reservist occupations to the SOE, and to evacuees.
Alongside the event, the RBL is inviting its members, volunteers and branches to host their own VE Day tea parties, bringing communities together across the UK for the national celebrations and to share stories over tea and cake.
The RBL’s programme of events will also highlight the diversity of those from Commonwealth countries who contributed to Victory in Europe and helped defend and shape in modern Britain.
"The Royal British Legion is incredibly proud to be putting veterans at the heart of these celebrations and commemorations marking the end of the Second World War, and to be supporting the Government’s VE Day programme. This is one of the last chances the nation will have to pay tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of the Second World War generation, and to thank the small number of veterans still with us today.
“Victory would not have been possible without the contribution of Allied Forces from the Commonwealth and beyond. By bringing the nation together to celebrate the entire Second World War generation on this momentous occasion, we can hear their stories and learn more about how that diversity of contribution from Commonwealth countries led to Victory in Europe.”
Mark Atkinson, Director General of the Royal British Legion
As part of the 80th anniversary programme, the RBL is launching a range of downloadable resources which will be available to all schools across the UK to help teachers plan activities in classrooms to mark VE Day.
This will include a special film produced by the RBL entitled “I’ll Remember: Discovering the stories of VE and VJ Day 80” with veterans reflecting on their wartime experiences, and young people visiting communities to learn more about the impact and legacy of the Second World War in modern Britain today.
A digital time capsule of VE Day stories from WWII veterans will be created, intended to be opened 80 years from now, so future generations can remember the service and sacrifice of those who fought for our freedoms.
In addition, BAFTA award-winning Simon Haw MBE has composed a song, I’ll Remember, for pupils to sing during VE Day school assemblies.