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Yahoo
07-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Northern Ireland to mark 80th anniversary of VE Day
Northern Ireland will mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day with a series of events to commemorate the end of fighting in Europe in World War Two. A number of activities, including historical talks, parades and services, are being held across Northern Ireland. Thursday will have particular significance for Jill Weggery who is visiting Northern Ireland for the first time in the hope of learning more about her mother. Jill's mother, Castledine Howard from west Yorkshire, joined the Wrens (Women's Royal Navy Service) with her sister - Pearl - four years into the war, when she turned 18. She was posted to HMS Belfast until the war ended in 1945, and was based in barracks nearby. "I would love to find somewhere just to stand in quiet and think about mum, but also to think about the happy times, knowing that there'd been victory in Europe and that war would be coming to an end," she said. "On VE Day I know she was out with the Americans celebrating with her sister and everybody, and having just a great time." Jill, who has lived in New Zealand for more than 20 years, believes VE Day is an important reminder of the devastation of war. "If people don't remember what happened I think it diminishes what they had to do. "It's really good now that people are celebrating the strength of the people who went through it," she said. Jill looks at a programme in the war museum in Belfast and says her mum had fond memories of celebrating VE Day [BBC] What's happening across Northern Ireland? Belfast will mark the anniversary with a series of events at City Hall, including guided walking tours, as well as a tea dance hosted by Hugo Duncan. There are events at PRONI and church services. City Hall was lit up red on Wednesday night, and will be again on Thursday. Belfast City Hall was lit up red on Wednesday night [BBC] Many locations including Bangor, Ards and Ballyhalbert, Lisburn, Armagh, Enniskillen, Coleraine, Londonderry and Carrickfergus will light beacons as symbols of hope for future generations. Riders and spectators at the North West 200 will observe a minute's silence. To search for an event in your local area, visit your council website or use the Commentator Lt. Commander Harry McMullan with Samuel Megraw, a shipyard worker and Lt. Commander J.M. Sowry, RNVR, broadcasting in Northern Ireland's contribution to Victory Report from Pollock Dock, Belfast [BBC] Replica spitfire on show On Wednesday night, a special event was held at Belfast City Hall to commemorate VE Day, chaired by comedian Tim McGarry and historian, Dr David Hume. A replica Supermarine Spitfire, used extensively by the Allied Forces during World War Two, was also on display. Nina Smyth says it's important to carry memories forward [BBC] Nina Smyth, who attended the event, said: "My mum would tell me stories that my grandparents told her about the war. I think it's important to carry the memories forward." Philip Hall attended the event with his nine-year-old son Keagan. "I've an interest in history and I think unfortunately the younger generation aren't aware of history in general. I want my son to learn about history, and the importance of VE Day." Philip Hall wants his soon Keegan to learn about history [BBC] James Bunting, husband of councillor Sara Bunting, said: "It's good to remember our past. If you forget your past then there's a chance it'll happen again." He said the men who served in the war "gave their todays for our tomorrows". James Bunting says "it's good to remember our past" [BBC] Civic service in Londonderry Meanwhile, a civic service marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day took place at Saint Columb's Cathedral in Londonderry on Wednesday evening. The Lord Lieutenant for the County Borough of Londonderry, Ian Crowe, says it was special to be part of the service [BBC] The Lord Lieutenant for the County Borough of Londonderry, Ian Crowe, said it was a very special service to be a part of and said it was very important to highlight the city's historic links to VE Day. It was on 14 May 1945 that the first of the German U-boats made their way up the Foyle to the port of Lisahally where they were formally ordered to surrender. "It's pivotal that Derry was a part of that story," Lord Lieutenant Ian Crowe said. VE Day 'hugely significant' for NI Northern Ireland War Memorial Museum collections officer James O'Neill says VE Day in 1945 was hugely significant for Northern Ireland [BBC] The Northern Ireland War Memorial Museum has been involved in VE Day commemorations throughout the week. Collections officer James O'Neill said VE Day in 1945 was hugely significant for Northern Ireland. "VE Day came after almost six years of warfare," he told BBC News NI. "There's footage that shows thousands of people flooding the streets. And for many, it's just a release of the worry that would naturally fill your mind," he said. "Northern Ireland had been used as a training base for thousands upon thousands of troops, it had been heavily militarised, there were airfields built, there were naval stations built, the war very much wasn't just somewhere else, it was here and this affected everyone across the province," he said. What is VE Day - or Victory in Europe Day? VE Day cups from 1945 in The Northern Ireland War Memorial Museum [BBC] Victory in Europe (VE) Day on 8 May 1945 saw Britain and its Allies formally accept Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender after almost six years of war. At 15:00, Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced on the radio that the war in Europe had come to an end, following Germany's surrender the day before. Spontaneous celebrations broke out across the country, and the late Queen Elizabeth II - then Princess Elizabeth - and her sister Princess Margaret ventured out with a group of friends to experience the excitement in London. Further celebrations will take place in August to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day), which marked the end of World War Two. More on this story [BBC]
The Independent
01-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
VE Day was a ‘jolly' moment but work went on, 100-year-old former Wren says
A 100-year-old VE Day veteran has recalled the 'jolly' moment she learned of the German surrender. Ruth Barnwell, from Putney, signed up to the Women's Royal Navy Service (Wrens) in 1942, aged 17. She has urged people to remember those who died during the war because 'they gave their lives for freedom for us'. Recalling the moment she learned of VE Day, Mrs Barnwell told the PA news agency: 'We were serving lunch and there was a noise out in the galley. 'So, we looked and this was my friend Pauline coming out of the stockroom, and she said 'everyone in the world is celebrating my birthday!' 'So, we said 'what do you mean, Pauline?' She says 'listen! I said it's my birthday, the war is over!' 'And that's how we knew. We all made a noise then. I don't think they finished their lunch properly.' Mrs Barnwell grew up in Ipswich. Her father was a cooper who made beer barrels and her older brother Raymond joined the navy when he was 15. She signed up to the Wrens after her childhood friend Ted was killed onboard HMS Hood. 'I went down to Oxford where there was a recruiting place. I went in and signed up, and I said 'well, they've taken Ted so I might as well go and win the war',' she told PA. After enlisting, Mrs Barnwell was sent to Mill Hill, north-west London, for six weeks of training, which involved mostly steward work, looking after officers and 'seeing if you could do the housework'. She was then sent to Glasgow and Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, before moving to HMS Quebec, a combined operations centre on the remote shores of Loch Fyne in Inveraray, Argyll and Bute. She spent the next four years there as a Wren and her main duties involved looking after the captain of the ship, Captain Argyll who, she says, treated her like a daughter. Describing her daily routine, she said: 'We started at eight in the morning and one o'clock after lunch. Every other day we had the afternoon off. The other day we served afternoon tea and dinner at night. 'I was supposed to wake up and be down by eight. I would leave it until the last minute and the old PO [Petty Officer] from up the other end of the hut would come through to the washroom, and shout: 'Ruth, Reenie get up!' But when she came back she pulled the sheets off of us, we still weren't up.' Mrs Barnwell said the facilities at the base were 'just like home'. She slept on the top of a bunk bed in an eight-bed dorm. She said: 'It was nice, I made friends. We would sit round the fire and chat. We had one of those chimney pots as a fire and would sit around there. We would have games, we'd play different types of games. There was always someone who had something new to tell us. 'We did our work and then we had our amusements, the dances. The dances were good. In the end, my young man didn't dance, so he sent one of his mates to see who I danced with.' Mrs Barnwell continued to keep in contact with all of her Wren friends until they died and she now writes to their grandchildren. On the banks of Loch Fyne, HMS Quebec was isolated, with no access to radio or TV. This meant news of what was happening in the war rarely reached them. Mrs Barnwell said: 'We didn't get any news of what was going on up there. We heard when the ships were bombed but we never knew how bad London got hit until we were on leave.' This meant that when D-Day happened, she had no idea. 'We went off duty at night as normal but when we went on duty the next morning, half the officers had gone and half the camp had gone,' she said. 'They left the skeleton workers and that was it. They told us that they'd gone overseas, that's all they said. 'I didn't know it was D-Day until it was all over.' She said eventually learning of the 'terrible' destruction caused by the war was scary. Despite the immense relief of VE Day, Mrs Barnwell said: 'We didn't have any celebrations there at all. Well, we did in our own way, I suppose, but we never had any drink or anything like that.' It is this reason she thinks it is important to commemorate VE Day today. 'On VE Day this year, we are celebrating and I'm going to the (Royal) Albert Hall. We are doing it to remember everybody,' she said. 'We didn't really celebrate when we were up in camp, we just had to get on with our work really, we didn't know what was really going on, so this is our celebration.' Speaking about the importance of remembering the war, she said: 'It's important to remember VE Day because they gave their lives for all of the people to live a better life. 'It's important we continue to remember the war because we lost so many. We don't want to forget them and we won't forget them because they gave our lives for freedom for us. 'It's nice to remember them. I mean, I quite often think of all the people that I knew that went. 'I lost quite a few really.' It was at HMS Quebec where Mrs Barnwell also met her future husband, Ronald Henry Barnwell, who was working as an electrical wireman. She recalls the first time meeting him, at Mrs George's cafe five miles from base, where two Wrens and two sailors were invited for Hogmanay. She said: 'So, from there on Ron and I went out together. 'On dates we used to walk miles. There's lots of places around Inveraray where you could walk. Sometimes we would stop at a bridge, sit there and I'd do his nails for him.' Telling the story of their engagement, she said: 'We were out for a walk and it was just about getting dark, and that's when he proposed. Well, I accepted. 'I went back and told the girls, 'Ron's just asked me to marry him', so they all played up. 'They used to try and make me up, I never wore make-up and they used to say 'Ruth let me make you up', but I thought, no, it was horrible.' Ruth and Ronald were apart for two years during the war, as he was posted to India. They kept in touch by writing letters, but these were heavily censored. 'All my letters to him were censored and so were his to me, so if there was anything wrong in it you didn't get your letter,' she said. The couple got married in Ipswich on April 26 1947. They have three children – Marie, Andrew and Elaine – and now have three grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Mrs Barnwell said going through the war together made them appreciate each other more. 'We must have been made for each other,' she added. Ronald died in May 2018, after being married to Ruth for 71 years. Proudly displaying her veteran badges, Ruth says that being in the Wrens changed her life. 'I am glad I joined the Wrens. I feel proud of it and I enjoyed the life, and I looked after lots of people. 'It probably made me feel better and grown-up after I came out of there. You get more independent.' Speaking through tears, she added: 'Being in the forces, you met people, you enjoyed all their company and when I got leave I went out and found different places that I would never have been, and in all I felt more grown-up when I came out.' Talking about the wars going on in modern society, Ruth says she does not watch the news as she finds it too difficult. 'It upsets me because it just brings back all the other things that have gone on,' she says. Asked about her message to those remembering the war and reading her story, Ruth said: 'I think they all should know about the war and know how many people got lost, and they should remember because things have changed so much.' – Ruth Barnwell will appear as a special guest in VE Day 80: The Party at the Royal Albert Hall on May 8. The event is in support of SSAFA the Armed Forces charity and is produced by The Makers Of.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
VE Day was a ‘jolly' moment but work went on, 100-year-old former Wren says
A 100-year-old VE Day veteran has recalled the 'jolly' moment she learned of the German surrender. Ruth Barnwell, from Putney, signed up to the Women's Royal Navy Service (Wrens) in 1942, aged 17. She has urged people to remember those who died during the war because 'they gave their lives for freedom for us'. Recalling the moment she learned of VE Day, Mrs Barnwell told the PA news agency: 'We were serving lunch and there was a noise out in the galley. 'So, we looked and this was my friend Pauline coming out of the stockroom, and she said 'everyone in the world is celebrating my birthday!' 'So, we said 'what do you mean, Pauline?' She says 'listen! I said it's my birthday, the war is over!' 'And that's how we knew. We all made a noise then. I don't think they finished their lunch properly.' Mrs Barnwell grew up in Ipswich. Her father was a cooper who made beer barrels and her older brother Raymond joined the navy when he was 15. She signed up to the Wrens after her childhood friend Ted was killed onboard HMS Hood. 'I went down to Oxford where there was a recruiting place. I went in and signed up, and I said 'well, they've taken Ted so I might as well go and win the war',' she told PA. After enlisting, Mrs Barnwell was sent to Mill Hill, north-west London, for six weeks of training, which involved mostly steward work, looking after officers and 'seeing if you could do the housework'. She was then sent to Glasgow and Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, before moving to HMS Quebec, a combined operations centre on the remote shores of Loch Fyne in Inveraray, Argyll and Bute. She spent the next four years there as a Wren and her main duties involved looking after the captain of the ship, Captain Argyll who, she says, treated her like a daughter. Describing her daily routine, she said: 'We started at eight in the morning and one o'clock after lunch. Every other day we had the afternoon off. The other day we served afternoon tea and dinner at night. 'I was supposed to wake up and be down by eight. I would leave it until the last minute and the old PO [Petty Officer] from up the other end of the hut would come through to the washroom, and shout: 'Ruth, Reenie get up!' But when she came back she pulled the sheets off of us, we still weren't up.' Mrs Barnwell said the facilities at the base were 'just like home'. She slept on the top of a bunk bed in an eight-bed dorm. She said: 'It was nice, I made friends. We would sit round the fire and chat. We had one of those chimney pots as a fire and would sit around there. We would have games, we'd play different types of games. There was always someone who had something new to tell us. 'We did our work and then we had our amusements, the dances. The dances were good. In the end, my young man didn't dance, so he sent one of his mates to see who I danced with.' Mrs Barnwell continued to keep in contact with all of her Wren friends until they died and she now writes to their grandchildren. On the banks of Loch Fyne, HMS Quebec was isolated, with no access to radio or TV. This meant news of what was happening in the war rarely reached them. Mrs Barnwell said: 'We didn't get any news of what was going on up there. We heard when the ships were bombed but we never knew how bad London got hit until we were on leave.' This meant that when D-Day happened, she had no idea. 'We went off duty at night as normal but when we went on duty the next morning, half the officers had gone and half the camp had gone,' she said. 'They left the skeleton workers and that was it. They told us that they'd gone overseas, that's all they said. 'I didn't know it was D-Day until it was all over.' She said eventually learning of the 'terrible' destruction caused by the war was scary. Despite the immense relief of VE Day, Mrs Barnwell said: 'We didn't have any celebrations there at all. Well, we did in our own way, I suppose, but we never had any drink or anything like that.' It is this reason she thinks it is important to commemorate VE Day today. 'On VE Day this year, we are celebrating and I'm going to the (Royal) Albert Hall. We are doing it to remember everybody,' she said. 'We didn't really celebrate when we were up in camp, we just had to get on with our work really, we didn't know what was really going on, so this is our celebration.' Speaking about the importance of remembering the war, she said: 'It's important to remember VE Day because they gave their lives for all of the people to live a better life. 'It's important we continue to remember the war because we lost so many. We don't want to forget them and we won't forget them because they gave our lives for freedom for us. 'It's nice to remember them. I mean, I quite often think of all the people that I knew that went. 'I lost quite a few really.' It was at HMS Quebec where Mrs Barnwell also met her future husband, Ronald Henry Barnwell, who was working as an electrical wireman. She recalls the first time meeting him, at Mrs George's cafe five miles from base, where two Wrens and two sailors were invited for Hogmanay. She said: 'So, from there on Ron and I went out together. 'On dates we used to walk miles. There's lots of places around Inveraray where you could walk. Sometimes we would stop at a bridge, sit there and I'd do his nails for him.' Telling the story of their engagement, she said: 'We were out for a walk and it was just about getting dark, and that's when he proposed. Well, I accepted. 'I went back and told the girls, 'Ron's just asked me to marry him', so they all played up. 'They used to try and make me up, I never wore make-up and they used to say 'Ruth let me make you up', but I thought, no, it was horrible.' Ruth and Ronald were apart for two years during the war, as he was posted to India. They kept in touch by writing letters, but these were heavily censored. 'All my letters to him were censored and so were his to me, so if there was anything wrong in it you didn't get your letter,' she said. The couple got married in Ipswich on April 26 1947. They have three children – Marie, Andrew and Elaine – and now have three grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Mrs Barnwell said going through the war together made them appreciate each other more. 'We must have been made for each other,' she added. Ronald died in May 2018, after being married to Ruth for 71 years. Proudly displaying her veteran badges, Ruth says that being in the Wrens changed her life. 'I am glad I joined the Wrens. I feel proud of it and I enjoyed the life, and I looked after lots of people. 'It probably made me feel better and grown-up after I came out of there. You get more independent.' Speaking through tears, she added: 'Being in the forces, you met people, you enjoyed all their company and when I got leave I went out and found different places that I would never have been, and in all I felt more grown-up when I came out.' Talking about the wars going on in modern society, Ruth says she does not watch the news as she finds it too difficult. 'It upsets me because it just brings back all the other things that have gone on,' she says. Asked about her message to those remembering the war and reading her story, Ruth said: 'I think they all should know about the war and know how many people got lost, and they should remember because things have changed so much.' – Ruth Barnwell will appear as a special guest in VE Day 80: The Party at the Royal Albert Hall on May 8. The event is in support of SSAFA the Armed Forces charity and is produced by The Makers Of.
