Friday May 8 marked 75 years since Nazi Germany formally surrendered to the Allied Forces and World War Two (WW II) came to an end.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson thanked the VE Day generation, when he said: “Our gratitude to you will be eternal”.
As the UK held a two-minute silence to commemorate VE Day, it was extra poignant also was also a day to remember the ‘war’ (against coronavirus) that people throughout the world are going through today.
Events did continue to take place throughout the day, despite the cancellation of public gatherings.
In Berlin, in Germany, though, residents were given an unprecedented public holiday, by Chancellor Angela Merkel, who led a ceremony to the Central War Memorial. The rest of the country, however, remained in lockdown as protection against the on-going coronavirus pandemic.
Many people are of the understanding that VE Day marks the end of World War II, but, My 8 was not the end, as imperial Japan was not defeated by the Allied Forces until three months later, in August.
The 75th anniversary comes at a pivotal moment, as the Covid-19 virus has, to date, infected over three and a half million.
World War II accounted for some estimated 50 million lives.
One sad and extra-poignant point was the confirmation of nine Chelsea Pensioners who were confirmed to have died after contracting coronavirus at their home; the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a home for hundreds of armed forces veterans – which includes WWII.
Lest We Forget? – We never will!
