Diocese of Exeter

Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of VE Day

Grace Stanhope

Sailors and Royal Marines from HMNB Devonport paraded on Plymouth Hoe on 8th May to remember and celebrate 80 years since Victory in Europe (VE) Day, when the Second World War came to an end in Europe. During a ceremony held at the Belvedere Steps memorial, senior Military personnel alongside the Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Councillor Tina Tuohy and Civic leaders gathered to raise the Union Flag, to begin the VE Day 80 celebrations. Representatives from Veterans associations across the City of Plymouth paraded their standards beside the HMS Drake Volunteer Band for the delight of the general public.

The Bishop of Exeter, the Rt. Rev’d Dr Mike Harrison, joined hundreds of others at Plymouth Hoe On Thursday 8 May 2025 to mark the 80th Anniversary of VE Day.

The remembrance event included a flag-raising ceremony, a Full Parade of Standards and a Royal Navy Guard, and two minutes silence at 12:00.

Following the silence, Bishop Mike gave a speech about the significance of the anniversary. He said, “On VE Day we honour those who stand up against evil, those whose selfless bravery and costly sacrifice on land, on sea and in the air, bespeak a generosity of spirit and largeness of heart that humbles us all, including those serving even now who do so.

“We recall it all, and like our forebears who marked VE Day we honour the fallen most by our resolve to be those ready to confront evil. But not in ways which simply multiply the horrors, those whose hearts soften rather than harden in the presence of the suffering of another, those who steadfastly refuse to reduce the humanity of another – those who understand that what we see in a four year old girl, a wing-gunner or a queue of schoolchildren are sons and daughters, brothers and sisters – who demand our protection not our persecution, peace not war, and life not death.”

The Bishop of Plymouth, the Rt. Rev’d James Grier, also took part in a special VE Day 80th Anniversary service at St Thomas of Canterbury Church, Kingswear.

During the service, Bishop James dedicated three new bells. One of the bells, the Thomas Lewis Peace Bell, was donated by the Lewis family in honour of wartime evacuee TW Lewis and the couple he was billeted with in Kingswear who became like parents to him.

You can watch a full documentary on the bells here.

Churches across Devon also marked the 80th anniversary in a number of ways. Many rang their bells at 18:30 in commemoration, just as churches did to mark the end of the war in 1945.

St Matthew’s Church in Chelston, Torquay, was transformed with trestle tables and bunting into a “Street Party” to mark the anniversary. The event included a sing-along to war time classics set the atmosphere and a bring-and-share tea brought friends and neighbours together in generosity and companionship, giving a taste of the community spirit that had kept people going eighty years ago.

St John the Baptist Church, Marldon, commemorated VE Day in their Sunday Service and many gathered to look at an exhibition of photographs, memorabilia and material from the local Village History Group archive to reflect on how VE Day impacted Marldon and the surrounding areas.

A service of hope and peace was hosted by All Saints Church, Winkleigh. Around 65 people from the community gathered around the churchyard war memorial to hear the story of one individual who was named on the memorial, along with memories of VE Day in London. Together, they remembered, gave thanks and committed to work for peace. At 9:30pm as beacons were lit across the country we lit the candles in the churchyard as well as our own candles and lanterns, filling the churchyard with light. It was a beautiful and moving occasion.

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