THE Town Council marked the 70th anniversary of VE Day with a two minutes silence at the East Court War Memorial this afternoon.
Town Mayor Nick Hodges read a moving extract from Churchill’s speech to the crowds on VE Day 1945:
“God bless you all. This is your victory! It is the victory of the cause of freedom in every land. In all our long history we have never seen a greater day than this. Everyone, man or woman, has done their best.
God bless you all.
Everyone has tried. Neither the long years, nor the dangers, nor the fierce attacks of the enemy, have in any way weakened the unbending resolve of the British nation.
God bless you all.
My dear friends, this is your hour, This is not victory of a party or of any class. It’s a victory of the great British nation as a whole. We were the first, in this ancient island, to draw the sword against tyranny. After a while we were left all alone against the most tremendous military power that has been seen. We were all alone for a whole year.
There we stood, alone. Did anyone want to give in?
Were we downhearted?
The lights went out and the bombs came down.
But every man, woman and child in the country had no thought of quitting the struggle.
London can take it.
So we came back after long months from the jaws of death, out of the mouth of hell, while all the world wondered.
When shall the reputation and faith of this generation of English men and women fail? I say that in the long years to come not
only will the people of this island but of the world, wherever the bird of freedom chirps in human hearts, look back to what
we’ve done and they will say “do not despair, do not yield to violence and tyranny, march straightforward and die if need be unconquered.”
Now we have emerged from one deadly struggle – a terrible foe has been cast on the ground and awaits our judgement and our mercy.”
At the end of the reading Town Clerk Julie Holden brought forward a red, white and blue wreath, which had been generously provided by florist Zara Flora, which was laid at the base of the War Memorial by the Mayor.
Remembering a day which 70 years ago mixed triumph at the Nazi surrender with tears for the human cost of the victory, John Grantham said the Propatria:
They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
The short wreath-laying ceremony ended with the standards being dipped, and the words of the KOHIMA:
When You Go Home
Tell Them of Us and Say
For Their Tomorrow
We Gave Our Today.
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Photos courtesy of East Grinstead Online
