Rochdale Army Cadet, CSM Rahees Ramzan, assists in lighting a 70th Anniversary VE Day Beacon

CSM Rahees Ramzan assisted WW11 Veteran Arnold ‘Arnie’ Hutchinson light the Beacon to Commemorate VE Day – 70th Anniversary

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The Rochdale Army Cadets stood proudly with the Rochdale Air Cadets and veterans on the cenotaph whilst CSM Ramzan was seated next to WW11 veteran Arnold ‘Arnie’ Hutchinson who served with the 7th (LI) Bn, The Parachute Regiment 6th AB Div, as a beacon of remembrance was lit on the anniversary of VE Day.

On VE Day 1945 millions of people across the UK shared an unprecedented moment of relief and euphoria that the war in Europe was over. Service men and women were coming home; families no longer needed to live in fear and young evacuees could return from the countryside where they had been sent for their protection. Britain could finally catch its breath and start to think about how it would rebuild.

Within every community today there are people who will remember that day.

Rochdale Council was one of the 200 authorities across the UK invited to take part in lighting a national chain of beacons on Friday 8 May.

The event had a great turn out, including people from the local community, the army and air cadets, veterans and many civic dignitaries.

Councillor Alan McCarthy, Lead Councillor for the Armed Forces, led the tributes to those we came to remember. Councillor McCarthy said: “We’re here to honour our heroes, to remember their achievements, their courage and their dedication and to say thank you for their sacrifices. Thinking of those who join us today and those who are here only in spirit, you can’t help but feel in awe of the enormity of what we encountered as a nation during the Second World War. Our gathering was one small spark in the flame of pride that burns across our country, as it did 70 years ago.”

Mr Hutchinson spoke of the pride he felt at the cadets taking part in the event.