On Thursday 8 May 2025 the nation will come together to remember the millions that paid the ultimate sacrifice fighting and securing the freedom we all enjoy today.
From early morning when the sun rises to evening as night descends, church bells will ring out, special flags will be flown, town criers will proclaim the victory, the haunting sound of bagpipes will fill the air and, in a final gesture of homage, beacons and Lamp Lights of Peace will be lit to signify the light that emerged from the darkness of war.
The International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC), near Lincoln, will be joining thousands of others wanting to remember and pay tribute to the brave men and women who took part in WWII, not only from our country, but other countries that fought side by side with us during the dreadful dark days of war.
Nicky van der Drift OBE, chief executive of the IBCC, says to be able to play even a small part in paying tribute is humbling and a great honour.
She says: “Since 2015, the IBCC has marked important national anniversaries with a beacon lighting, and the VE Day 80th is no exception. It gives us the opportunity not only to mark this key date in our history but also to focus on the sacrifice of the 57,861 men and women who lost their lives serving and supporting Bomber Command in World War 2.
“We have a debt of gratitude to all those who served in our armed forces fighting to protect our freedoms.”
Bruno Peek CVO OBE OPR Pageantmaster of VE DAY 80 said: “In order to celebrate the eighty years of peace and freedom given to us by the bravery and ultimate sacrifice of so many during WWII as a whole, hundreds of town criers will undertake the VE Day Proclamation at 8am.
“Flags will be raised, Church Bells will be rung, and over one thousand Beacons and several hundred Lamp Lights of Peace will be lit at 9.30pm across the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories on May 8, 2025, with the flames from the Beacons and Lamps representing the ‘light of peace’ that emerged from the darkness of war, and once lit for this occasion, the lamps can be re-lit again at 11am on Remembrance Sunday for many years to come in tribute to the many millions that sacrificed their lives during WWII.”
