Latest news with #VEMail
South China Morning Post
19-05-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
UK children write to WWII veterans for VE Day 80th anniversary
Tens of thousands of children in the UK wrote to World War II veterans as part of a project aimed at teaching new generations about the significance of the conflict before the Victory in Europe Day celebrations on May 8. The VE Mail initiative was launched by campaign group Together Coalition to mark 80 years since Nazi Germany surrendered, ending the war in Europe. The group encouraged schools and youth centres to request a letter from a veteran, detailing their wartime experience and its significance to them. Around 1,300 schools requested a letter, and children participating in the programme replied with their own letters. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission will put the letters from veterans and children into the national archive. Answer: to teach new generations about the significance of World War II
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Veteran, 103, moved by children's letters about war
"This has filled me up really good, it has," said World War Two veteran bombardier Tom Jones. Just moments earlier the 103-year-old had been read letters written by students at James Brindley Community Primary School, in Walkden, Manchester, ahead of celebrations for the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day. It is part of VE Mail, a letter exchange project which wants to connect 50,000 UK school children with WW2 veterans to "ensure that first-hand memories from veterans are passed on to the next generation in a meaningful way". Thursday will mark 80 years since the unconditional surrender of German military forces on 8 May 1945. Since it was launched on 19 March, more than 1,100 schools and youth organisations have signed up to VE Mail. Students who were part of the initiative at James Brindley Community Primary School received a letter from Mr Jones in March, in which he described his memories from World War Two. It also talked about the conditions he lived in while fighting against the Japanese military in Burma, now known as Myanmar. "On VE Day we were still dodging bullets in the jungle, and we did for another three months. People don't know how bad it was in Burma," Mr Jones told the BBC on a visit to the school. "We went 12 months without changing clothes, without a bath or shower, or a cooked meal, and in between that we were fighting," he said. Several students, including Valentina, wanted to read their response to Mr Jones' letter in person. "Thank you for your time and the privileges you have given us. I bet it was difficult being away from a normal life in Britain," she said. "I was amazed by your strength of character and how you lived to tell the tale, and being the age of 103 is an exquisite achievement. "I hope that eventually our generation will realise how hard you and your comrades fought for peace and rights, because war has no winners, just losers." Mr Jones' letter also spoke about being away from his family, and late wife, Eileen. In another letter, student Annabelle said she was "thrilled" to know the veteran eventually was able to build return home and build a life with Eileen. "I believe you were so brave being away from your family and your sweetheart at such a young age and for such a long time because I would never be able to do what you did," she said. "You must have been thrilled after the war when you came home and married your sweetheart Eileen and found a peaceful place to build a family." As the students were reading their letters aloud to Mr Jones he had the chance to expand on stories. Speaking about Eileen to the students, he said: "She was my best girl, and she waited four years for me to come home." At the end of the meeting with the children, Mr Jones added: "They are beautiful letters and make me feel like all I went through was worth it. "This has filled me up really good, it has." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. VE Day 2025 - All the street parties in Manchester Flypast and concert for VE Day 80th commemorations VE Mail
BBC News
03-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Veteran, 103, says children's letters made sacrifice 'worth it'
"This has filled me up really good, it has," said World War Two veteran bombardier Tom moments earlier the 103-year-old had been read letters written by students at James Brindley Community Primary School, in Walkden, Manchester, ahead of celebrations for the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) is part of VE Mail, a letter exchange project which wants to connect 50,000 UK school children with WW2 veterans to "ensure that first-hand memories from veterans are passed on to the next generation in a meaningful way".Thursday will mark 80 years since the unconditional surrender of German military forces on 8 May 1945. Since it was launched on 19 March, more than 1,100 schools and youth organisations have signed up to VE who were part of the initiative at James Brindley Community Primary School received a letter from Mr Jones in March, in which he described his memories from World War also talked about the conditions he lived in while fighting against the Japanese military in Burma, now known as Myanmar."On VE Day we were still dodging bullets in the jungle, and we did for another three months. People don't know how bad it was in Burma," Mr Jones told the BBC on a visit to the school."We went 12 months without changing clothes, without a bath or shower, or a cooked meal, and in between that we were fighting," he students, including Valentina, wanted to read their response to Mr Jones' letter in person."Thank you for your time and the privileges you have given us. I bet it was difficult being away from a normal life in Britain," she said. "I was amazed by your strength of character and how you lived to tell the tale, and being the age of 103 is an exquisite achievement."I hope that eventually our generation will realise how hard you and your comrades fought for peace and rights, because war has no winners, just losers."Mr Jones' letter also spoke about being away from his family, and late wife, another letter, student Annabelle said she was "thrilled" to know the veteran eventually was able to build return home and build a life with Eileen."I believe you were so brave being away from your family and your sweetheart at such a young age and for such a long time because I would never be able to do what you did," she said. "You must have been thrilled after the war when you came home and married your sweetheart Eileen and found a peaceful place to build a family."As the students were reading their letters aloud to Mr Jones he had the chance to expand on about Eileen to the students, he said: "She was my best girl, and she waited four years for me to come home."At the end of the meeting with the children, Mr Jones added: "They are beautiful letters and make me feel like all I went through was worth it."This has filled me up really good, it has." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
01-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
VE Day: Veterans bring the past to life with letters to children
Imagine receiving a letter that could transport you back in time. Over 50,000 children across the UK have signed up to a letter writing scheme that connects them with veterans from the World War VE Mail, it's an opportunity for children to hear first-hand about the past, with veterans sharing their own stories of the war, organised by charity The Together children involved receive a personal letter from a veteran, and have the chance to send a reply. VE Day - or Victory in Europe Day - which marks the day near the end of World War Two (WW2) when fighting in Europe came to an end. It's celebrated on 8 May, the date in 1945 when Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced that war in Europe had come to an end, following Germany's surrender. One letter is shared by a veteran, Rajinder Singh Dhatt, who was born in India and joined the British Indian Army at the age of 103, in it he reflects on his time as a soldier."I witnessed fierce fighting and brave acts by soldiers from many nations," he also remembers his feelings when the war ended."When peace finally came, we felt both relief and sadness - for the friends we had lost, and the years we could never get back." Another letter from 100 year old Mervyn Kersh tells of what he learnt through his time as a shares his experience of being evacuated from London as a 14 year old boy, when war first broke out, and of being part of the D-Day invasion of also talks about the hardship of war and his life as a soldier, sleeping in makeshift shelters and cobbling together meals. "I arrived back in London earlier than expected. I rang the doorbell and my mother answered. She looked at me and said, 'Can I help you?' - she didn't recognise me after my time at war." 101 year old Jean Rees served as a Wren during the Second World was the nickname given to those enrolled in the Women's Royal Naval Service - a branch of the navy that recruited women to take on important roles to support the her letter she describes the training that Wrens undertook."Firefighting, gunnery, first aid, and marching in perfect unison. Discipline was drummed into us," she says. Jean also talks about the friendships and camaraderie she found with the other Wrens."Being away from home was new to me. I lived in a cabin with other Wrens - no privacy, no room of my own. But we quickly became close. Friends for life. They called me 'Sug', short for sugar, because they thought I was sweet. The trust shared between five young women - strangers who became lifelong friends - was something I'll never forget." There are now very few surviving veterans from World War Two, and organisers hope the letter exchange will help children to better understand what life was like during the hope the letters will also serve as a lasting legacy of the veterans' letters written by the veterans, and the children's replies, will be saved in a national archive.
France 24
01-05-2025
- General
- France 24
Thousands of UK children write to WWII veterans ahead of VE Day
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.
