Thousands of UK children write to WWII veterans ahead of VE Day
Tens of thousands of UK children have written to World War II veterans as part of a project to teach new generations about the "memory and of meaning" of the conflict ahead of Victory in Europe Day celebrations.
The VE Mail initiative was launched by campaign group Together Coalition ahead of events next week to mark 80 years since Nazi Germany surrendered, signalling an end to the war in Europe.
Together Coalition encouraged schools and youth centres to request a letter from a veteran, detailing their wartime experience and its significance to them 80 years later.
"The next generation is particularly important if we want the legacy of VE Day to live on," said the group.
Around 1,300 schools requested a letter and children participating in the programme have replied with their own letters.
Veterans have since started to receive "mail bags full of responses from schoolchildren," the group said Thursday, adding the number of letters was in the tens of thousands.
Veterans who received replies included 103-year-old bombardier Tom Jones, who said "the victory meant the world to us at the time - but the values are as relevant today as they were then".
"With fewer surviving veterans still with us, VE Mail is a major opportunity to pass the baton of memory and of meaning to the next generation," he added.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has said it will put letters from veterans and children into the national archive.
Victory in Europe Day, known as VE Day, is celebrated on May 8 each year, but celebrations will begin in the UK on Monday, a scheduled public holiday.
The Royal Mint, the UK's official coin maker, said that commemorative coins to mark the occasion were on sale from Thursday.
The VE Day 50p coin will feature a dove of peace, a design originally created for 1995 celebrations marking the 50th anniversary.
The new coins bear the inscription "In peace goodwill" and will be available in a range of finishes.
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