Peter Martin: Memories of war remind me that we stood alone against the Nazi dictator

Thankfully she still has a memory, at 88, that far surpasses my own and she vividly recalls the experiences of that time.

She recently told me how, as a four year old, she was woken by her parents and they all looked out across the water to see Belfast on fire during bombing in 1941.

"All we could see were large orange fires and large pillars of smoke" she said as they literally watched the aftermath of the firebombing.

During the air raids she said they would all go into the 'Anderson shelter' that my grandfather had built in the back garden, they shared it with the next-door neighbours. During the April 1941 air raid she heard the loud explosions of the bombs that hit Bangor.

Her family personally knew one of the people that were killed that night during the raid.

My great grandfather John lived in the Castlereagh hills on a farm called Loughview I found out recently that as the Luftwaffe flew over the farm towards the docks he would take out his shotgun and fire at them, given the altitude it's very unlikely he ever did any damage but it's a great story.

This week I met the US Consul at a VE Day 80 commemoration at Stormont. I shared with him this story that my mum loves to tell.

She was the envy of her classmates because there was no chewing gum or bubble gum available at that time because of war rationing. On the build-up to D-day a significant number of US servicemen were stationed in Bangor, the back fence also served as the perimeter fence of the American camp.

Mum recalls the kindest of the US soldiers passing her sweets and bubble gum through the wire on a weekly basis. I'm sure some of those soldiers never made it home again.

My grandfather served as a career soldier in the Royal Inniskillen Fusiliers and fought at Dunkirk as part of the rear-guard action whilst the main allied evacuation was taking place.

I know from records of the battles that they were ferocious and bloody. James (although always known as Dinky) never spoke much to my dad about what he saw there or what he did although I understand this is common amongst many veterans. As it happens my wife's grandfather James Nixon also served on the Royal Navy Destroyer Tenacious during the entirety of World War Two and saw significant action, not least on D Day itself.

These events, such as VE Day 80 are very important to me, not least because of family connections, but also because they remind us of the sacrifices many people made to provide us with the democracy we enjoy today.

Our families were fortunate and our grandfathers made it home but many didn't.

In our family we share with our children the stories and also the many sacrifices that were made on their behalf.

I am incredibly proud of my country, and there are many reasons for that, but not least for the fact it stood alone against an evil dictator, Hitler, as he took over most of Western Europe.

Other nations capitulated, some stayed neutral, but not the British.

I think sometimes we take for granted the high cost that many paid during World War Two especially those who suffered through the Holocaust.

The least we can do is be thankful today, remember the sacrifices and share these stories with our children.

• Peter Martin is DUP MLA for North Down