'They truly were the Greatest Generation, and I salute them' - VE Day tribute from Shropshire RAF sergeant
As we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, a Shropshire RAF sergeant has spoken of the importance of continuing to remember the sacrifice of 'the greatest generation'.
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Sergeant Phil Major, who hails from Dawley in Telford and is based at RAF Cosford, has given his personal thoughts on the importance of VE Day - and what it means to him.
Ahead of the anniversary this Thursday (May 8) he said: "VE Day means a lot to me; it is a time to reflect on the sacrifices of those that went through so much during the Second World War. Those that lived through six years of war and hardship deserve our respect and gratitude. Their sacrifice ensured we, and much of Europe, have the freedoms enjoyed today – eighty years later.
"Being third generation to serve, I am aware of the demands and rewards of service life. My grandad enlisted in September 1939. He was an anti-aircraft gunner with the Royal Artillery, serving in England, including throughout the Battle of Britain, before he embarked for India in June 1942, not returning to England until October 1945 - flying home via the Royal Air Force instead of the long sea voyage, using ships of the Royal Navy, that most had to endure.
"My paternal nan’s first husband was killed in action, November 1942, during the Second Battle of El Alamein. She learnt of her husband’s death (Myles ‘Danny’ Madden) via telegram, as did everyone else in that period. He was 22. My nan survived the Coventry Blitz in November 1940 – war affected everyone.
"As a ‘Shropshire lad’ born far from the battlefields of Europe, North Africa and the Far East it is hard to comprehend the scale of the global struggle between the Allies and the Axis forces. My own deployments take me away from family for months, I have great communication channels back home to my family. British forces, and our allies, during World War Two were often away for years relying on letters that often took weeks to arrive.
"This wasn’t a war between the servicemen of a nation - millions of civilian men and women fought on the home front. They grew the food, they manufactured the weapons, they worked in the mines. The merchant navy sailed time and again across the Atlantic, facing the U-boat threat, bringing food, equipment, raw materials and Canadian and American troops. My wife’s grandad, serving in a reserved occupation, built Spitfires at the huge Castle Bromwich plant. This was a war that affected every part of our society.
"They truly were the Greatest Generation, and I salute them."