Britain will say thank you to the Greatest Generation with a bonus bank holiday to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
Plans to honour next year’s momentous milestones are set to include a four-day jamboree, the Express understands.
Victory in Europe Day on May 8 marks the formal acceptance of Germany’s unconditional surrender in 1945, while Victory over Japan Day on August 15 is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered, effectively bringing the war to an end.
No decision has yet been made on which summertime weekend would effectively be extended to four-days, but an announcement is imminent.
Next year will likely be the last chance for our 1939-45 veterans, of which around 70,000 are still alive, to join in commemorations thrown in their honour.
And they gave their wholehearted backing to the idea of a bank holiday bonanza.
Market Garden Veteran Geoff Roberts, 99, who was captured in the airborne assault on Arnhem in 1944 and held as a prisoner of war, said: “I think it’s very important in these current times we remember those that gave their lives for our freedom and peace in Europe. We should never forget them. Maybe an extra bank holiday will help to remind people about what’s happened in the past.”
Marie Scott, 98, was 17 on D-Day and worked in a top secret underground bunker passing coded messages from military commanders to soldiers landing on the beaches and when troops were talking on their radios, could hear every blood-curdling sound from across the water in Normandy.
She said: “An additional bank holiday would be an opportunity to thank all those wonderful people who made such a spectacular victory possible because, without them, the future could have been very dire indeed.”
It is understood that plans under discussion could see May 9 and 12 wiped free to allow nationwide celebrations, or August 22 bolted on to make the summer bank holiday on August 25 a four-day festival.
The bonus days off would allow communities across Britain to toast the landmark anniversaries just as they did for the Platinum Jubilee in 2022 when, over glorious four-days, parties were held for the 70th anniversary of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne.
The Platinum Jubilee was celebrated between June 2-5, while the day of her funeral, Monday, September 19, was made a bank holiday.
Britain also enjoyed an extra bank holiday for the coronation of King Charles with Monday, May 8 declared a public holiday two days after the crowning ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
Next year eight public holidays are scheduled, the first on January 1 before Good Friday and Easter Sunday in April, May 5 and 26, August 25, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
In 2020 the early May bank holiday was moved from Monday (May 4) to Friday (May 8) to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day which caused controversy, with questions raised over whether there should have been more notice, or whether VE Day should have been marked with an additional day off.
After the death of the late Queen Elizabeth, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson was supportive of moves to create an extra bank holiday in her honour of her reign bringing the annual total in England and Wales to nine.
The push was enthusiastically supported former Chief of the General Staff General and Chairman of the Normandy Memorial Trust, Lord Richard Dannatt, 73, who called it a “brilliant concept” and Royal biographer Gyles Brandreth, 76, who said the day was “needed more than ever to remind us what connects us, to create an excuse to engage our neighbours in something more than small talk and to express our thanks to a lifetime of service in her Majesty the Queen. It is, as they say, for Queen and Country.”
Analysis by PwC found sectors badly hit by the pandemic, including retail, hospitality and tourism, would have been handed a massive boost, benefitting from additional economic activity that an extra day off would generate. But government officials dismissed the idea saying “each bank holiday presents a significant cost to our economy”.
On June 5 – the final day of the Platinum Jubilee long weekend – some 16,750,000 participated in celebrations – one in four of the UK population making it one of the biggest community events in British history.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed in last month’s Budget that taxpayers would stump up £10 million to commemorate the VE Day and VJ Day anniversaries next year.
Dick Goodwin, Vice President of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, said: “We are looking forward to celebrating with the remaining Second World War heroes – they deserve Britain’s gratitude and respect for their courage and sacrifice. We are long forward to the bank holiday and stand ready to help.”
Officials said they would not speculate about plans currently under consideration but one confirmed celebrations would be of “national significance” and a programme of events confirmed imminently.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport told the Express: “The 80th anniversaries of VE and VJ Day will be moments of huge significance for our country, and the Government is committed to commemorating the occasions appropriately. That is why we have announced more than £10 million for events. We will announce the Government’s plans to mark the occasion shortly.”
