VE Day tribute to heroes of the greatest generation
Eighty years ago today, Winston Churchill led the euphoric celebrations to celebrate the end of World War Two.
Addressing a massive cheering crowd on May 8 1945, Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), the UK prime minister said: “God bless you all. This is your victory!”
After six long years of hardship and heroism as the nation faced down and beat Hitler’s Nazi fighting machine, hundreds of thousands roared back to the great wartime leader: “No – it is yours.”
The joyous scenes were repeated across the nation, including a massive celebratory gathering of people in front of Belfast City Hall in Northern Ireland's capital city after the province played a key strategic role in the fight against Hitler – who had killed himself eight days previously.
Churchill said: “In all our long history we have never seen a greater day than this. Everyone, man or woman, has done their best.”
Today that great moment in time is being marked around Northern Ireland and across the rest of the UK.
Celebrations include a massive event hosted in east Belfast’s CS Lewis Square, starting at 7pm with a parade of marching bands and children dressed in evacuee clothing through the heart of the area, followed by a vintage party with 1940s music and styles on show.
Lisburn sees a large-scale series of events ranging from a town crier delivering an official VE Day 80 proclamation to parades and a tea dance in the city centre.
Open-air free musical events across the province include the band of the Royal Irish Regiment in Bangor, an evening of swing music in Ballymena, and flute and accordion bands in Larne.
Coleraine holds a contest in which town centre businesses dress their windows in a period theme, plus a “military village”.
Across the UK, beacons representing the “light of peace” that spread across the world at the end of the war are being lit this evening; here, they’re happening in Antrim, Newtownabbey, Bangor, Newtownards, Ballyhalbert, Enniskillen, Lisburn and Carrickfergus.