VE Day Michaelstow Friday 8th May 2020

Councillors conducted a short ceremony at the War Memorial to commemorate VE day. Given the current policy on isolation it was a small gathering attended by Councillors (Chairman) Marshall, Whitby, Jago and ffrench Blake and wife Gillian along with Anthony Scott-Hopkins for Friends of the Church and Andrew and Jean Button who arranged some patriotic decorations.
After a short address by Councillor ffB, Cllr Jago placed the wreath that had been supplied by Cllr Whitby. After two minutes silence Anthony S-H gave a short address reminding us of Churchill's and the King's words on VE day as well as a recital of the lyrics (not the melody) of words of "The White Cliffs of Dover."

There'll be bluebirds over The white cliffs of Dover
Tomorrow, Just you wait and see
There'll be love and laughter
And peace ever after, Tomorrow
When the world is free
The shepherd will tend his sheep
I know the valley's gonna bloom again
And Jimmy will go to sleep
In his own little room again
Well, there'll be bluebirds over The white cliffs of Dover
Tomorrow, Just you wait and see
Just you…

Cllr A. ffrench Blake's Address

There were many aspects to the 6 years of war.

AT SEA: Merchant Navy kept supplies coming and transported troops while constantly under attack by U-boats. RN offered protection, kept the seas open by corraling and attacking the German navy and supported the land war.

IN the AIR: Battle of Britain, the Few; air cover by Spitfire and Hurricane fighters for land operations, Lancasters bombing enemy industry and communications – also, more controversially, civilian targets in retaliation for the Blitz and V bombing of our cities.

ON LAND: An armada of requisitioned civilian boats, many crewed by their owners, rescued our forces stuck on the beaches of Dunkirk in the face of the German Blitzkrieg through Belgium and France. Thereafter we conducted a continual war in Europe, in ME, FE and Africa with the support of many troops from every part of the Empire: ANZAC, Canadian, Indian, African and Caribbean and our allies, eventually including the USA.

By today’s standard weaponry was primitive. But war is more about people than their weapons. Although our weapons were almost all inferior to those of the Germans, our motives, morale, leadership, resilience and sense of purpose ultimately proved far superior.

We must never forget: the atrocities committed in Nazi concentration camps and by the Japanese on POWs; the 5m European Jews exterminated by the Nazis.

We should remember the contribution of SOE establishing and supporting Resistance movements in Europe; of M16 operations to reveal enemy intentions and disguise our own; and the codebreakers in Bletchley Park whose efforts were so crucial in that respect.

With most men of working age called up to fight it was women kept industry and agriculture going. Meanwhile the Blitz and V bombing caused 67,000 civilian casualties and led to the evacuation of children from cities to the care of strangers in safer places around the country. There was food rationing.

The war engaged every single person in resolute and unselfish service to their country.

It is wrong to suggest that what we are experiencing now with the Covid 19 replicates that war-time spirit, though in respect of nurturing community spirit there is a vague similarity. Now we are called to adopt the Precautionary Principle by hiding away from the unknown risks posed by a nasty virus. That is a negative reaction largely based on dire scientific prediction, stoked by the media. It is a fearful reaction to a threat that is depriving us of the freedoms for which the war was fought. The war called for an all together positive attitude from the population one which embraced a positive desire to serve the country in any capacity, accepting the risks, inconvenience and sacrifice that might entail.

GB Armed Forces suffered around 400,000 casualties over the 6 years of warfare, just under 1.0% of the population.

Overall WW2 accounted for the death of around 4.0 % of the world’s population.

So now two minutes silence to reflect on that history and on the sacrifices and achievements of that generation.