How we commemorated VE50 in 1995

Union Flag
VEDay75 Wordsearch
Vera Lynn
Songwriters: Hughie Charles / Ross Parker Sung by Vera Lynn... and YOU!
Listen to Dame Vera singing on YouTube and join in!
  • We'll meet again
    Don't know where
    Don't know when
    But I know we'll meet again some sunny day
    Keep smiling through
    Just like you always do
    'Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away
    So will you please say hello
    To the folks that I know
    Tell them I won't be long
    They'll be happy to know
    That as you saw me go
    I was singing this song
    We'll meet again
    Don't know where
    Don't know when
    But I know we'll meet again some sunny day

    Repeat as required!
Over the Rainbow

  • Somewhere over the rainbow way up high
    There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby
    Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue
    And the dreams that you dare to dream Really do come true

    Someday I'll wish upon a star
    And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
    Where troubles melt like lemon drops away above the chimney tops
    That's where you'll find me

    Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly
    Birds fly over the rainbow why then, oh why can't I?

    If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
    Why, oh why can't I?

Some memories of VE Day 1945 from Christine Whild

The incredible relief, no more sirens, no more worrying about uncles and cousins in the forces (although my uncle Oscar was killed on a bombing raid to Germany), we could remove the sticky tape that covered our windows protecting against bomb damage, very soon the street lights would come on again.

We were still short of food, and rationing did not end for many years. I looked forward to having holidays and going to the seaside, (we had barbed wire for 5 years along our coasts) although I never did learn to swim! Our radio had been our lifeline (television yet to be invented). Communication was by letter, as we had no phone.

We learned afterwards about the huge crowds in London, and lots of terrible events had been kept from us by the government. Returning soldiers were yet to tell us these things. We were still fighting the Japanese, who were still a medieval, warlike race, so it was not quite over yet ...

Lord Woolton Pie
War Time Recipes from Christine Wallace
Lord Woolton Pie
Bread and Apple Pudding
Land Army Pastie
Wartime Tea Bread
Wartime Welsh Cakes
Rolled Oat Macaroons
Spam fritter and colcannon recipe

Find more recipes from Christine at bakerchristine.co.uk
Or try The 1940s Experiment the1940sexperiment.com
VEDay75 Teddy
  • Dress your teddy as a soldier, sailor or pilot ... or ground crew, ammunitions worker, school child or anyone connected with World War II and put teddy in the window to wave a everyone taking their daily exercise. You can add the flags you have coloured in and the rainbows for the NHS!
  • Send in your photos to editor@madnews.co.uk for the next issue of MADNews
Decorated Cake
  • Decorate a cake to have at your picnic or VE Day tea!
  • Send in your photos to editor@madnews.co.uk for the next issue of MADNews
BattleofBritain80
  • Battle of Britain Audio Drama Competition:
    Are you a budding playwright with an interest in World War Two history? Would you like to see your script turned into a real play? Read more and enter at www.rafbf.org

Letter to MADNews May 2020 from Mike Hoath

Marcham Wayside Cross Dear Editor

Amongst all else that is going on, we should not forget that this is the 75th anniversary year of the end of World War 2. On the 8th May 1945 the War in Europe ended and on 15th August 1945 the War in the Far East ended. In that War, four people from Marcham died and are remembered on our memorials. This letter is to remember those four and to ask if anyone has more information that we can use to record for posterity in our village as much as possible about their lives. The first to die was Dennis Lawrence. He died in India on 7th October 1943 in India. In 1939, he had been a Grocer’s Errand Boy living in The Gap with his parents, James and Louisa. Dennis married Lilian Walters in April 1942. The Lawrence family had a long connection with Marcham. James Lawrence had been born here in 1885. James and his wife were living in Parkside in 1960.

Peter Bennett was killed over Holland on 25th April 1944, age 20, while serving as the pilot of a Lancaster bomber. His father had worked in Rio de Janiero (and Peter Bennett may have been born there). Peter Bennett was educated at Dauntsey’s School in Wiltshire. In 1939 his family was living at Long Acre, Frilford.

Harry Dore was killed in Normandy on the 18th August 944 while serving as a Lance-Corporal with the Queens Regiment in the 7th Armoured Division. He had been born in Chipping Norton. In 1939, his parents were living at Manor Farm Cottages, Garford. Harry Dore had had a long war starting at Dunkirk, through Alamein, until he landed in Normandy.

The fourth, and last to die was Stephen Thorp Cooper on 27th April 1945 in Burma. He was serving with the Queen Victoria's Own Madras Sappers and Miners in the Indian Army. His connection with Marcham comes through his father, a Civil Engineer, who had been working for the Air Ministry, possibly being based at Marcham Park with the family living at Frilford Heath.

Does anyone have any information on the four on our memorial, or know of others that we should remember? If so, I would be delighted to have details so that I can put together a full record. I can be contacted at 27 Kings Avenue, at mikehoath@aol.com, or on 01865 391349.

Mike Hoath

VE75 stamps

Royal Mail have issued VE75 commemorative stamps. Click to see larger versions. Sorry - not available at Marcham PO!

Marcham Society has published extracts from a book by John Buxton, Murray Maclean's godfather, his war diaries and poems. You can read more on the Marcham Society website

Thanks to a lot of websites for making things free to download, including:
veday75.org :: igoflags.com :: Youtube.com :: BakerChristine.co.uk :: wikipedia.org :: Shpock.com :: pinterest.com
And a big thanks for Martin Thorne for allowing us to upload his video of VE50