VE Day 2023: Loyal order parade set for East Belfast this week marking anniversary of Nazi Germany's demise

To mark the occasion, there will be Royal Black parade in east Belfast this Friday night.

It will begin at 7.30pm at Templemore Avenue, then proceed along Albertbridge Road, Ravenhill Road, My Lady's Road, Cherryville Street, and Woodstock Road, before pausing for a service at the local war memorial.

It will then return to Templemore Avenue via Castlereagh Road, Beersbridge ROad, and Newtownards Road, ending no later than 9.30pm.

The 11/1 form says that the march also doubles as a parade to mark the coronation.

It lists the number of marchers and bandsmen as being around 500.

The bands involved are: Ballymacarrett Defenders Flute Band, Billy Boys, Pride of the Raven Flute Band, The Lord Carson Memorial Accordion Band, Somme Memorial Flute Band, Sydenham Blues and Royals Flute Band, and East Belfast Protestant Boys.

The applicant is Ballymacarrett Royal Black District Chapter No 4.

Though it marked the parade as "sensitive", due to its proximity to the nationalist/republican-dominated Short Strand in parts, the Parades Commission has not altered the route or restricted the parade.

Instead it has just re-iterated the need for good behaviour and respect from all those on the day.

Hitler killed himself on April 30, 1945, signalling that the end of the war had come, but it was not until a week later that Nazi Germany officially surrendered.

Nobody knows the exact number of people killed in Europe from 1939 to 1945, but it is thought it could be over 40 million, mainly on the Eastern Front.

It would take three months and two nuclear bombs before the war in Asia was declared over.

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