Whether you’re a veteran of the Blitz on Merseyside or a veteran of War, we invite you to join in our parade through Liverpool City Centre at 10:30am Saturday 30th April…
The objective of the Liverpool Blitz 70 event is to remember all those who lost their lives in the air raid attacks on Liverpool and the surrounding area, but also to celebrate the ‘Spirit of Liverpool’. The organisers, D-Day Revisited, invite civilian veterans of the Blitz to join military veterans from the region in an official parade through the centre of Liverpool.
Liverpool always had a reputation for producing fast-thinking, brave and loyal soldiers and this reputation still stands today. A staggering 22% of all armed forces personnel come from Merseyside and the City of Liverpool has a strong historical connection with the military. This parade offers veterans of all ages and all conflicts an opportunity to come together and march through their own city alongside men and women who helped to keep Liverpool working throughout World War II whilst bombs were falling from the skies.
It is the organisers’ belief that the factory workers, the land girls, the shipbuilders, the policemen, the firefighters, the doctors, the home guard and indeed all men and women in voluntary or reserved occupation deserve to be celebrated for their enduring efforts and spirit of defiance. Without these people staying behind to fight on the Home Front, Britain could not have survived.
The parade will assemble at Williamson Square at 10:30am when the air raid siren will sound. War veterans and veterans of the Blitz will be treated equally and parade side by side. At 10:40 the City of Liverpool Pipe Band will lead the parade out of Williamson Square down Richmond Street, left along Whitechapel and left again up Church Street to the main stage. Approximately 50 members of Liverpool Scooter Club will form a guard of honour along each side of Church Street and spectators must remain behind these lines.
Once the contingent has arrived at its Church Street destination at 11:00 a two minute silence will be held in memory of all who were killed 70 years ago.
The air raid siren will sound the ‘all clear’ to mark the end of the two minutes silence. The Lord Mayor of Liverpool will then lead the wreath laying ceremony, followed by the Mayor of Wirral. Chindit, George Main, was injured in Liverpool during the May Blitz of 1941 and will lay a wreath on behalf of all Liverpudlian veterans of the Blitz. Normandy veteran, Albert Dillow, will then lay a wreath on behalf of all Wirral veterans of the Blitz.
Further wreaths will be laid by local MPs, dignitaries, veterans, representatives of Liverpool, Everton and Tranmere Football Clubs, representatives of the Police and Fire Services and representatives of local businesses. The Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Hazel Williams, will then make a speech welcoming everybody to the event.
All veterans of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces are asked to wear blazers and medals and all civilian veterans of the Blitz are kindly requested to dress smartly. If you would like to take part and have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 01244 531 765. For more details of the events taking place in Liverpool City Centre 30th April – 2nd May, please see our Schedule of Events.
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