Veterans including couple married for 74 years guests of honour at VE Day party

Britain’s oldest surviving Second World War veteran and a husband and wife believed to be one of Britain’s oldest living couples were among dozens who joined a tea party making 80 years since VE Day.

Some 46 veterans who served their country during the Second World War were guests of honour at a celebration hosted by the Royal British Legion at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire on Thursday.

A service of remembrance, hosted by Baroness Floella Benjamin and attended by veterans and their families as well as minister for veterans and people Al Carns, ended the day, with musical performances from Russell Watson, wreath-laying and a Spitfire and Hurricane flypast.

D-Day veteran Donald Rose, who celebrated his 110th birthday on Christmas Eve, attended the memorial event.

He was attached to the division which liberated Belsen concentration camp and said he did not get to celebrate the momentous day 80 years ago.

He said: “When I heard that the armistice had been signed 80 years ago, I was in Germany at Belsen and like most active soldiers, I didn’t get to celebrate at that time.

“We just did what we thought was right and it was a relief when it was over.

“I never would have believed I would be remembering this day at 110-years-old. It’s meaningful to come here today with the Royal British Legion, to remember the people who didn’t come back.”

The celebration was also attended by husband and wife veterans Roy, 100, and Kathleen Lawrence, 101, who both served in the RAF during the Second World War from 1942 to 1945 but met after the war ended and married in 1951.

Roy became a flight engineer on a Lancaster bomber undertaking bombing missions over Dresden and Berlin, while Kathleen was working in a factory before joining the WRAF in 1941 and served in communications.

Roy said: “I asked my father, could I volunteer for the Air Force and they wouldn’t let you in until you were 17 years and three months, so I waited until I was 17 years and three months.

“I wanted to be a Spitfire pilot but unfortunately I failed at navigation. They questioned me and suggested I might like to be on bomber command, so I said OK.

“I went into bomber command and they sent me to South Wales to train as a flight engineer which eventually I became and at 18, I became a flight engineer on Lancaster bombers.”

Speaking of his first mission to Leipzig in Germany, he said: “We dropped the bombs and we came back home.”

On VE Day, Roy remembered being on the “bread run”, dropping essential supplies into France.

Asked why it was important that people remember the sacrifices made during the Second World War, Roy said: “It’s very difficult. I remember those days and I remember the people, not by name because there were so many of them, that got killed.

“The present day need to remember that had it not been for them, we’d have all been speaking German.”

Bernard Morgan, 100, brought the telex that he received two days before VE Day, announcing the war was over, with him to the event.

Bernard, who volunteered on his 18th birthday in 1942 and served in the RAF until 1947 as a codebreaker, landed on Gold Beach at 6.30pm on D-Day becoming the youngest RAF sergeant to land in Normandy during the war.

Two days before VE Day, he received a telex to say, “German war now over, surrender effective sometime tomorrow”, but had to keep it secret until it was officially confirmed on May 8 1945.

He remembered having a big party with his comrades, lighting a bonfire and celebrating into the night.

He said: “It’s so important that we make the most of these opportunities to remember what happened, not just to celebrate the achievement, but also to ensure that such horrors never happen again.”

Speaking of those who gave their life during the war, he said: “They are the heroes that people should think about.”

Veterans minister Mr Carns said he was “deeply proud” to have a chance to speak to those who served.

He said: “We have everybody from Merchant Navy to civilians who were evacuated, all the way through to Army, Navy, Air Force and individuals that landed on D-Day, so it’s a huge spread of veterans, and I’m really proud to just have a chance to speak to them and celebrate VE Day today.

“When the nation required it, they stood up. The self-sacrifice they demonstrated to stand up and fight and put their lives on the line for the freedoms that we enjoy, we’ve got to be hugely respectful and honour that, and today is just one day of which we really get to champion them, champion their sacrifice, and make sure we collectively remember that freedom isn’t free.”

Mr Carns, who served in the military himself for 24 years, said the VE Day celebration made him feel “deeply proud to be British”.

He said: “When every other country capitulated, the UK stood strong because of individuals like (those) here today. They stood up and protected the nation.

“And I reflect on my service and it’s just a great chance to remember individuals I’ve served with, individuals I’ve seen and haven’t come home, or those injured in combat, so it’s both a time to remember, but also a time to be deeply proud.”

Frances Grier, 104, joined the RAF when she was 19 and inspected and packed parachutes at RAF Bassingbourn for five years.

She said she was a “Marks and Sparks girl” at the age of 17 before joining the RAF alongside her sister, who was two years younger than her.

She remembered the mess “running out of beer” on VE Day as everyone celebrated the news.

She said: “You just took everything as it came and you never thought about it. When you went home on occasion, you were glad to get back for some peace and quiet.

“You never thought about writing, you never got round to it once you had done what you were supposed to do. It was all about discipline.

“Everybody did what they could. You just did it. It was your duty.”

Mrs Grier, who travelled four hours from Kent with her family, said it was her first time visiting the National Memorial Arboretum, and that it had left her feeling “sentimental”.

She said: “It’s so nice when you get everybody together, which doesn’t happen very often.”