[News] VE Day 2020

[el punal]

Doing my bit for VE Day. We had our next door neighbour, who’s in her eighties, round for a driveway barbecue. Our other neighbours all joined in the spirit of the occasion as well - very responsible we were too, lots of booze and a humongous amount of social distancing!

 

[Boroseagull]

I would just like to add my tribute to all those who fought and defended the country during this period. Of course I will mention my late father who was part of the 'forgotten' war in India & Burma as part of the RAF, but like so many of the time he was very reluctant to mention much of what happened. However I would like to single out my late uncle, Percy Belmont Etherton - Jersey St. Brighton who was in the Royal Navy. He joined the navy to try and avenge the death of his first brother who was lost at the Battle of Coronel in 1914. Percy was a crew member on HMS Daring when it was sunk by U-23 off of Scapa Flow in February 1940. Of the ships company only 5 were saved, miraculously he was one of these. His parents found out he survived by letter some 6 days later. After a short period of leave he immediately joined another ship and survived the war. I possess a cutting from the Brighton & Hove Herald, not brilliant quality but it tells the story of another Brighton hero.