Community comes together in Sandwell for poignant commemoration event to mark anniversary of VE Day
Members of the community, councillors and armed forces representatives came together for a poignant service to mark the anniversary of VE Day.
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The Sandwell Council House on Freeth Street in Oldbury was filled with dozens of people who had come to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Second World War and to celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day (Victory in Europe Day).
After a live brass band welcomed attendees, there was a short parade and the flag was raised by the Mayor of Sandwell Councillor Syeda Khatun, before a service which was led by Dwayne McQuaid, with support from Royal British Legions.
It was a chance for those in attendance to pay their respects, with Sandwell Council Leader Councillor Kerrie Carmichael saying it had been a great occasion and showed that the people of Sandwell would never forget those who fell during the war.
She said: "It went really well and we had a lot of people here and they seemed to enjoy the brass band, while the service was really nice.
"It's really important for us to be able to celebrate this anniversary and it's important with the fact that we need people to remember what happened 80 years ago and how our freedoms were fought for.
"I'm always very proud of everything that Sandwell does and I'm honoured to be the leader of the council and be able to take part in parades like this and to honour people who died on our behalf.
"Everyone I speak to is really respectful about what happened and I don't think anyone will ever forget what happened all those years ago."
The Mayor of Sandwell Councillor Syeda Khatun said: “Five years ago, we marked VE Day 75 from our homes during the first lockdown of the Covid pandemic.
“We reflect on the sacrifices made by the Second World War generation, to honour them for what they achieved and to celebrate their legacy.
“We pay tribute to all those who gave so much to liberate Europe as well as Japan later in 1945.
"This includes everyone who fought overseas, including people from around the Commonwealth, everyone who served their country on the home front and all those who sadly never came home.
“We also wish everyone holding street parties and street meets a wonderful time celebrating with their families, friends and neighbours.
“I would like to thank everyone who attended today’s service in Oldbury as part of Sandwell’s VE Day celebrations and to the Royal British Legions for their support.
“It was wonderful to join together to mark the 80th anniversary, to pay tribute to the Second World War generation and the sacrifices they made for our freedom and to remember all those sadly lost.
"I was pleased to see school children at the service as it’s so important that we pass on this history to the younger generation.”
