VE Day

VE Day: Injured Veterans To Help With Commemorations During Lockdown

New plans to mark the 75th anniversary of VE day at the end of next week have been announced as the nation gets set to mark the historic date during lockdown.

Social restrictions mean street parties and parades due to take place on 8 May have been cancelled.

Instead, Sir Winston Churchill's victory speech will be replayed in the afternoon and the Queen will address the nation in the evening.

Among the ways the date will be marked is through the work of the forces charity Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI).

Injured veterans with the charity have made figures of Second World War soldiers. The public are being encouraged to place them in their windows to support the commemorations.

More than 2,000 of the 25cm high perspex figures have been purchased so far.

All money raised from the campaign will go towards the charity’s work to provide employment, training and support to veterans and their families.

Former Army chief General the Lord Dannatt endorsed the scheme, stressing the importance of adapting events to ensure VE Day is appropriately marked.

Lord Dannatt said: “Public mood is low, but we owe it to ourselves as a nation to recognise those who gave their lives in the Second World War, and also those who endured so much at home, to win us our freedom.

“I would hope that the country could draw a lot of strength from remembering the generations and all our relatives who pulled together at that time.”

Lord Dannatt said people today can apply the "spirit" of the wartime generation to the current battle with the coronavirus.

“I think we see that spirit on the front line in the NHS, the present moment, we see the spirit in communities up and down the country,” he said.

WATCH: General The Lord Dannatt speaks to Forces News about the RBLI campaign.

The Royal British Legion’s Bob Gamble said:

“As we face some of the most challenging times since the Second World War, now more than ever it is important to unite in recognition of people’s service to the nation, just as communities did 75 years ago.

Next Friday's new schedule will include a two-minute silence at 11am (UK time), to honour the sacrifices of the Second World War and the impact of COVID-19.

“There is no right or wrong way to take part in the Silence at 11am, some people may wish to stand at their windows or step outside their front door," said Mr Gamble.

"Then later on we invite people to open their windows wide and join us to celebrate and give thanks as we singalong to Dame Vera Lynn’s wartime classic, ‘We’ll Meet Again’, which has added poignancy in the current circumstances."

At 11:15 am, the Legion will host a livestream event sharing stories from the war and the current crisis.