Anything's possible when allies work together, says Garrison Sergeant Major

The VE Day 80 parade proves that anything is possible when people work together with a common cause, the Garrison Sergeant Major of London District has said.

WO1 Andrew "Vern" Stokes pointed out how members of the Armed Forces would be on parade alongside personnel from the Commonwealth, our Nato allies and Ukraine.

GSM Stokes is the most senior NCO in London District and is responsible for organising military ceremonies in the capital.

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He said of the parade: "Well, of course, it's got to be right. No one does it like the British. We've all heard that before, haven't we? And we are all custodians of delivering that reputation.

"So, there's been an awful lot of hard work. Getting people ready. Getting people match-fit. We're asking quite a lot of our Armed Forces personnel. There's a lot of standing around."

Marching and standing still takes its toll mentally and physically on those taking part, demanding intense concentration.

"The march procession is just over 1.2 miles so, you know, it's not insignificant," the GSM explained.

"And really making sure that our kit and equipment is up to standard. But most importantly, to make sure we've got all our timings right.

"I've got a few key timings. Of course, when you've got something starting with the chimes of Big Ben at midday, you can't be late for that.

"And when you've got a flypast at 13:45, you can't be late for that either. So there's a lot of pressure on timings and really I've been keeping a tight eye on that. But I'm confident we're going to deliver, which means an awful lot."

WO1 Stokes, who has served almost 40 years in the Army, said he had been inspired by the Second World War generation.

"World War Two was a huge event involving millions and millions of people, and everybody suffered," he said.

"We're stood here on Wellington Barracks. Just over my left shoulder is the Guards Chapel. You know, less than 81 years ago that was hit by a V-1. 

"In the congregation over 100 of them were killed, including military musicians and soldiers and sailors and airmen.

"So it [the war] hits everybody, not just in London, but across the country and also all of our Armed Forces.

"It was also a display of what it means to be part of an alliance. And you'll see that on parade today as well.

"So we've got Commonwealth soldiers on parade, we've got Nato allies on parade and we've got Ukrainian soldiers on parade.

"And it's just a demonstration that when you are together, you are much stronger – and anything is possible."