BELFAST RB BOOKLET 2020 - Flipbook - Page 25
Ci t y of Belf ast Grand Bl ack Chapt er - Dem onst rat i on Bookl et 2020
VICTORY IN EUROPE & THE END OF WWII - 75 YEARS ON
Following on from last year's inclusive Booklet articles centring on
the lead up to the eventual Victory in Europe, no doubt due to the
greatest military invasion in the history of mankind landing onto
the beaches at Normandy, by the combined Allied Forces on 'DDay'; June 6th 1944, the next onward stage was then to rout the
scourge of Nazism and ultimately the final defeat of its evil leader
and dictator, Adolf Hitler.
History has already recorded much in relation to that era and the end was
completed with this statement through a 3pm global radio broadcast from the Cabinet
Room, of Number 10 Downing Street, by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on
Tuesday, 8th May 1945 .. "My dear friends, this is your hour. This is not victory of a party or of
any class. It's a victory of the great British nation as a whole. We were the first, in this ancient
island, to draw the sword against tyranny. After a while we were left all alone against the most
tremendous military power that has been seen. We were all alone for a whole year. There we
stood, alone. Did anyone want to give in? Were we down-hearted? The lights went out and the
bombs came down. But every man, woman and child in the country had no thought of quitting
the struggle. London can take it.
So we came back after long months from the jaws of death, out of the mouth of hell, while all
the world wondered. When shall the reputation and faith of this generation of English men and
women fail? I say that in the long years to come not only will the people of this island but of the
world, wherever the bird of freedom chirps in human hearts, look back to what we've done and
they will say 'do not despair, do not yield to violence and tyranny, march straightforward and die
if need be-unconquered.
Now we have emerged from one deadly struggle; a terrible foe has been cast on the ground
and awaits our judgment and our mercy. But there is another foe who occupies large portions of
the British Empire, a foe stained with cruelty and greed; the Japanese. We may allow ourselves
a brief period of rejoicing; but let us not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead.
Japan with all her treachery and greed remains unsubdued.
Tomorrow our great Russian allies will also be celebrating victory and after that we must begin
the task of rebuilding our health and homes, doing our utmost to make this country a land in
which all have a chance, in which all have a duty, and we must turn ourselves to fulfil our duty to
our own countrymen, and to our gallant allies of the United States who were so foully and
treacherously attacked by
Japan.
We will go hand and hand
with them. Even if it is a hard
struggle we will not be the
ones who will fail. We must
now devote all our strength
and resources to the
completion of our task, both at
home and abroad."
"ADVANCE BRITANNIA."
IN MEMORY OF THE FALLEN - 23 - AND THE FUTURE OF THE LIVING