VE Day 75 – TV Guide

On Friday 8^th May 2020 Britain will be commemorating the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE Day) when the guns fell silent at the end of war in Europe. Below is a listing of special tributes to the Second World War generation on Television

VE Days: The Lost Films

Channel 5 – Saturday 2^nd May from 8:30pm to 9:25pm

• The story of VE Day in 1945, told through eyewitness accounts and cine films from the time. A day of grief and optimism, celebration and loss, everyone had their own story to tell. Rarely seen footage captured by amateur film-makers charts the extraordinary events when the entire nation took to the streets, featuring gatherings in central London, village life in Chapeltown on the outskirts of Sheffield and reaction in Tyne and Wear.

VE Day in Colour: Britain's Biggest Party

Channel 4 – Sunday 3^rd May from 8:00pm to 9:00pm

• Using newly recorded accounts and previously unseen archive, this is the story of the day in May 1945 when the fighting finally stopped across Europe and the celebrations began as Britain rejoiced in unity. The stories of ordinary folk are heard, but alongside the happy tales of street parties, fancy dress, and jelly and ice cream are the reflections of those thinking of loved ones who wouldn't return to enjoy a peace that was hard-won. (More info here)

Home Front Heroes

BBC Two – Monday 4th May 9:15am to 10:00am (Daily till Friday 8th May)

• Five famous faces reflect on the wartime experiences of close family members, discovering just how significant their contributions were. In the first edition actress Sue Johnston follows in the footsteps of her Auntie May, who was a nurse in Merseyside during the Second Word War. (More info here)

Churchill

BBC Two – Monday 4th May 3:00pm to 4:00pm (Daily till Friday 8th May)

• Documentary series, first shown in 1992, profiling the British war leader's life from his birth in 1874 to his inauguration as Prime Minister in May 1940. It explains the events that moulded the ambitious young politician and transformed him from a political failure in 1915 to the choice of the majority as the only leader able to stand up to Adolf Hitler. (More info here)

Britain's Greatest Generation - Their Finest Hour (Series 1 - Episode 2)

BBC Two – Tues 5^th May from 7:00pm to 8:00pm

• The Second World War saw men from all classes unite to fight the Nazis, and this programme meets some of the last surviving pilots of the Battle of Britain. Women, who had been excluded from many jobs, worked in everything from anti-aircraft gun batteries to steel-making factories. The Blitz saw rescue workers risk all to save those trapped in bombed buildings. For many of the era's last survivors, the defiant spirit that brought the nation together remains one of their proudest moments, as this documentary reveals. (More info here)

VE Day

BBC One – Friday May 8^th from 2:45pm to 3:45pm

• To mark the 75th anniversary of this historic and unforgettable event, Sophie Raworth presents a special tribute to the Second World War generation. Through stirring military music, moving personal testimony and readings from VIPS and celebrities, all those who fought and contributed to the war effort are remembered and celebrated. (More info here)

Scotland's VE Day: Countdown to Victory

BBC Two – Friday May 8^th from 3:45pm to 4:30pm

• Another chance to see a 2005 programme in which Scottish veterans of the Second World War reflect on the final week of the conflict. They reveal incredible tales of endurance, compassion and cruelty, including Scottish PoWs held hostage by their Russian `allies", while at home an exhausted nation awaited the final German surrender.

VE Day: Countdown to Peace

Yesterday – Friday May 8^th from 5:00pm to 6:00pm

• This compelling documentary celebrates the approaching 75th Anniversary of freedom and peace in Europe.

The One Show

BBC One – Friday 8^th May from 7:00pm to 8:00pm

• Alex Jones and guests celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

VE Day 75 – A Musical Celebration

BBC One – Friday 8^th May from 8:00pm to 9:10pm

• To mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, the BBC and the Royal British Legion honour and celebrate the WWII generation in a programme presented by Sophie Raworth featuring recollections from some those who remember this historic day. Popular songs of the era are performed by stars including Adrian Lester, Katherine Jenkins, Anton Du Beke, Helen George, Beverley Knight, Sharon D Clarke, Shane Richie and Emma Barton. In a fitting finale at 9.00pm, the nation is asked to unite for a very special rendition of ‘We'll Meet Again’, as a gesture of thanks to the veterans and in memory of lost loved ones.

Captain Tom's War

ITV – Friday 8^th May 8:00pm to 8:30pm

• Captain Tom Moore who raised over £28 million for NHS Charities marks another upcoming milestone in this documentary - 75 years since VJ Day and the end of the Second World War later this summer. He looks back on his time in the brutal Burma campaign and honours the soldiers who fought in what has since become known - with so much focus on the European battlefront and on today's VE Day commemoration - as the `forgotten war".

VE Day: Remembering Victory

BBC One – Friday 8^th May from 9:10pm to 10:100pm

• May 8, 2015 marked 70 years since Winston Churchill announced the Second World War in Europe was over, prompting Britain to throw the biggest street party the country has ever seen. David Attenborough, Bruce Forsyth, Miriam Margolyes and June Whitfield are just a few of the well-known figures sharing their memories of the end of the conflict

Tony Robinson's VE Day

Discovery HD Friday 8^th May from 9:00pm to 10:00pm

• Tony Robinson delves into a pivotal day in the history of the modern world, examining the key events that made VE Day such a momentous 24 hours.

VE Day Events – COVID 19 Information

Further to the most recent Government guidelines regarding social distancing, an increasing number of Commemorative Services, street parties, events and activities marking the 75th Anniversary of VE Day are being cancelled or postponed. Due to the current situation, please check with event organisers and individual venues for updated information.

‘Stay at Home street Party' - There is now a call for people to host ‘Stay at Home’ Street Parties in their own homes and gardens to celebrate VE-Day. Communities all across Great Britain are starting to get involved and we at Forces War Records are encouraging our members and followers to take part too.

‘Clap for VE Day 75 Campaign’ – Just as we thank our heroes today in the NHS and all our keyworkers for the selfless commitment to defeat COVID-19, WWII veteran Stanley Northeast wants the nation to 'Clap for Victory' at 7.45pm Friday May 8th to thank and remember our heroes of WWII for their selfless courage to defeat the enemy.

Do you have any WWII heroes in your family? Maybe you are researching them and your family's military history - search the Forces war records site and fill in the missing pieces...

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Sources: Radio Times / DigiGuide / BBC / Channel 4 / Channel 5