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BBC News
04-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Villagers to mark VE Day at former US airfield in Matching Green
Residents of a small village that played a huge part in World War Two will be lining the streets to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.A memorial service in Matching Green, near Harlow, Essex, is planned for Sunday at the Nissen hut that once acted as a hospital for US village was home to an airfield built for the US 391st Bombardment Group, and it was home to 2,000 men between 1942 and Barnard, chair of the commemorations committee of St Mary's Church, said: "It was just a rural, agricultural village – very typical for this part of East Anglia – and for a period of three years it was transformed." A total of 197 pilots and crew members lost their lives during the time the bomb group was based at Matching VE Day commemoration will take place in the former base hospital, which has been restored for the will be able to have tours of parts of the airfield that are not usually open. There will also be memorabilia and wartime vehicles on display."At one stage it had up to 2,000 men living there, at times in very adverse conditions, constructing the site and living in tents in freezing conditions, but the pressure was on to finish the project in advance of D-Day," Mr Barnard said. Despite the war, some happy memories have been passed down the generations from families living in the village at the time."The most overriding memory that most people tell me is the incredible generosity shown to the children," Mr Barnard and sweets were often given out by the US airmen, which was a particularly popular move as they were rationed at the time."The activity on the airfield used to attract all the young boys, and they used to hide in ditches and watch the aircraft land," Mr Barnard added."We think it is really important to remember the sacrifices that were made to allow us to live in a free and democratic society today." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Parades and parties mark VE Day in Hampshire and Isle of Wight
The sound of live music and fairs will be filling the air across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to mark 80 years since VE Day.A military vehicle convoy and special ceremonies will also take place throughout the week to commemorate the end of World War Two in are being held in Aldershot, the home of the British Army, and near Portsmouth naval will also be lit and church bells rung across the region on Thursday evening. On Sunday 4 May, Southampton hosts a Royal British Legion VE Day 80 concert at the O2 fetes and organised picnics will be held across the region on that day, including at Romsey's War Memorial Park and New Milton Recreation has a commemorative service at the Royal Garrison Church on Monday 5 May, followed by a street party where people are invited to bring a Bank Holiday also sees a fair with music and stalls at Wickham recreation event at Eastoke seafront, Hayling Island, on Monday aims to attract thousands of people with military vehicles and other attractions. A host of events are planned for VE Day itself, 8 Leigh Road recreation ground is the venue for a free fair from 11:00 - 18:00 BST, including music and Square in Fleet has a day of events, including an air cadet drill display and evening at Sunnybank House Care Home in Fair Oak will culminate in an evening ceremony with a bugler and the lighting of are invited to bring a picnic to the ruins of Bishop's Waltham Palace for an evening of celebrations with a military the Isle of Wight, a drum corps will parade through Cowes at 19:00. Another parade has been organised by the Royal British Legion from Sandown to Park in Aldershot is the venue for a community event from 20:45, with music and readings leading to the beacon lighting, which also takes place across the UK at 21:30. On the morning of Saturday 10 May, a convoy of classic military and other vehicles will drive from Southwick, near Fareham, to Basingstoke, on a route including the A32 and event, held annually, supports the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal but this is the last time it will be put on by the current Red Lion pub in Overton will celebrate on Saturday with an eclectic mix of ration books for beer, classic cars and a Pearly has wartime songs and 1940s dance classes at the Historic Dockyard on 10 May, as well as at the D-Day Story Museum the following 11 May is the date for one of the region's biggest street parties.A full-size Spitfire, military vehicles and music are among the attractions in Carlton Place, Southampton, from 12:00 to 17:00. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
24-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
VE Day stamps made to mark 80th anniversary
A special set of stamps is being issued to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.A set of 10 stamps will honour men and women who made contributions during World War Two, while a mini-sheet of stamps has images of Dame Vera Lynn from different aspects of her wartime Mail will also be applying a special VE80 postmark on stamped mail in the week of the anniversary in Gilthorpe, chief executive of Royal Mail, said: "Royal Mail is proud to issue these stamps honouring the courage, sacrifice and resilience of those who fought for freedom and peace." People featured on the stamps include:– George Arthur Roberts, the first black man to join the London Auxiliary Fire Service.– Mary Morris, whose diaries described how she nursed troops returning wet and wounded from Dunkirk.– John Harrison, who served in the Royal Navy on the destroyer HMS Belfast.– Bhanbhagta Gurung, who fought in Operation Longcloth in Burma and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery.– Thomas Peirson Frank, a civil engineer and surveyor whose rapid-response teams repaired more than 100 breaches of the River Thames wall during air raids.– William Tutte, a codebreaker whose work was key to decrypting the Lorenz cipher, the German code used for top-level communication and intelligence. Dame Vera Lynn lived in the East Sussex village of Ditchling before her death in 2020. Additional reporting from PA Media.
