The town also held a procession of veterans, soldiers, cadets and reserves through the town centre.
Finn Macdiarmid reports...
Finn Macdiarmid reports...
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00:00The skies above Rochester would have once been crowded with the sounds of
00:06planes and gunfire. And now church bells, the marching of a parade and cheers fill
00:14the air instead, as Medway pays tribute 80 years on from victory in Europe.
00:19A procession made their way through Rochester's high street, turning to salute
00:23Mayor Nessarov on their route and ending outside Rochester Cathedral for the VE
00:27Day service that saw soldiers, cadets, veterans and reserves in attendance.
00:32We're doing the main parade and laying a wreath at the cathedral. The poppy wreath that we
00:41have is by the Royal British Legion, it's a special Royal Navy one that we put a message
00:47there so I wrote it and basically it says thank you to those who fought and toiled for
00:55freedom to mark today, VE Day 80 years on, all those courageous people who we owe our freedom
01:07to today.
01:09With Kent's unique position as the closest part of Britain to occupied Europe, it had
01:13to be prepared to defend the country's skies and seas around the clock, even at night. So
01:19at the end of the VE Day celebrations, six searchlights from across the Medway towns all switched
01:25on to commemorate the monumental anniversary, swivelling to meet each other's beams in the
01:30same point in the air.
01:31Well, I think we've got a long history of beacons, but actually for this year, I think
01:35something slightly different. So actually we've got this new approach and we'll be lighting
01:39up the night sky as part of that national recognition at 9.30 to say very clearly as a community
01:46here in Medway. We're proud of our armed forces here at Heritage. We're proud of the contribution
01:51that residents here made 80 years ago to win that peace. But of course, we think about those
01:56who we've lost and made the ultimate sacrifice in defending our democracy and freedom. Doing
02:01that collectively in the way we will be at 9.30, something I'm incredibly proud of.
02:06The sight of searchlights piercing the clouds and scanning the skies is something you would
02:10have only seen in World War Two. And now they've been brought into the modern day not
02:14to spot enemy aircraft, but instead to highlight the sacrifice of those who gave their lives
02:19during World War Two and ensured that 80 years ago there was peace in Europe.
02:24Medway is only connected by land and by river, but for our soldiers on the 80th anniversary
02:29of Victory in Europe Day, it was connected by the sky too. Finn McDermid for Kame TV in Medway.
02:35The возможности of the Mount Lower Benge. Whoo!
02:45You've...
02:47You don't have to change as many soldiers, but it was followed by the mandy angels and