King Charles III led Remembrance Sunday tributes across the United Kingdom, as Second World War veterans were honored on the 80th anniversary of the conflictS end. Thousands gathered in London and edinburgh to commemorate those who have died in service, with particular recognition given to a dwindling number of veterans who served during the second world War.
The Royal British Legion’s annual march past saw approximately 10,000 members of the armed forces participate, including around three veterans who took part in the D-Day landings and approximately 20 Second World War veterans overall.Commemorations marked 80 years as the end of the Second World War in 1945. Veterans were applauded as they were wheeled in wheelchairs along Whitehall,with one saluting near the Cenotaph.
Veterans laid wreaths at the Stone of Remembrance outside the city Chambers in Edinburgh. Among the marchers was 101-year-old Donald Poole, a Royal army Ordnance Corps technician who served in India when Japan’s surrender was announced. “It is a great honor to be able to pay tribute to the poor souls who have died in all conflicts, and I know how lucky I am to still be here thanks to all those who have fought and served, past and present,” Poole said. He also paid tribute to civilian services, particularly the fire service during the Blitz.
Second World War veterans Mervyn Kersh, Jim Grant, and Henry Rice participated in the march past at the Cenotaph. Rice, a former signalman, arrived off Juno beach five days after D-Day, while Kersh arrived in Normandy three days after the invasion began. Sid Machin, one of six 101-year-olds marching, is among the last surviving Chindit special forces soldiers from the Burma campaign. At 19, Machin served behind enemy lines in a glider, disrupting Japanese supply lines.
Remembrance Sunday ceremonies also took place at war memorials in towns and cities throughout the UK.
