Final salute to the last of the many who fought for peace as WW2 heroes gather to mark 80th anniversary of VE Day

THEY are the last of the many who won 80 years of peace for the world.

More than six million men and women served in — 3.5million of them in the — as we stood alone against Hitler.

Today there are only a few thousand left and most of those are more than 100 years old.

Yesterday saw one of the largest gatherings of — and be photographed — to mark the 80th anniversary of their victory.

Sadly, there are only 46 of them in our picture. But what an incredible group they are — the youngest, such as Wilson Cotton and Tom Hill, are now aged 98. The eldest, Donald Rose, of Ilkeston, Derbys, who saw action in , , Normandy and , is 110.

They all attended a celebration at the National Memorial Arboretum, near Lichfield, Staffs, organised by the Royal British Legion in their honour to mark VE80.

Before a service of remembrance led , they posed together for what will become a historic picture.

For in only a few short years the last of this greatest generation will be gone for ever.

MP, veterans minister and a former special forces soldier, met them all as they enjoyed afternoon tea before taking their places for the photograph.

He told The Sun: “Every one of these veterans represents selfless sacrifice.

“When the nation was on its knees and called upon the population, society stood up and stood together to defend the freedoms we enjoy.

Burmese jungle

“It wasn’t just the individuals who took up arms in the Navy, Army or Air Force. It was the whole of society, keeping the country afloat when every other country had capitulated. It’s something to be really proud of.”;

Unbelievably, for some of those who had travelled to the Arboretum, it was the first time in 80 years they had told their wartime stories.

Like RAF engineer John Hindmoor, who at age 104 decided now was the time to recall how he was on the way to Singapore when his ship was diverted to South Africa.

Former steelworker John, of Crook, Co Durham, said: “South Africa’s Prime Minister Jan Smuts feared an uprising at home and appealed to to send troops.

“As we docked near Cape Town a lady told me, ‘That was the finest sight in the world. When we saw your blue uniforms come down from that ship we knew we were safe.’”;

Hydraulics expert John flew on missions with test pilots — while RAF bomb aimer Frank Tolley flew 23 missions to Germany in a Lancaster bomber, , before dropping 600 tons of food to the starving in Holland.

Frank, 103, from Evesham, Worcs, was on leave in Lincoln on and knew the war was over when he saw a group of British soldiers mingling with r who had been released.

Roy and Kathleen Lawrence, who both served in the RAF, are believed to be Britain’s oldest veteran couple.

Lancaster bomber flight engineer Roy, 100, met RAF switchboard operator Kathleen at a dance after the war ended.

Roy, from Manchester, said: “I asked my father, ‘Could I volunteer for the Air Force?’ and they wouldn’t let you in until you were 17 years and three months, so I waited until I was 17 years and three months.

“I wanted to be a Spitfire pilot but unfortunately I failed at navigation.

“They questioned me and suggested I might like to be on bomber command, so I said OK.”;

His first mission was to drop bombs over the German city of Leipzig — and on VE Day Roy was on the “bread run”;, dropping essential supplies into France.

He said: “It’s very difficult.

“I remember those days and I ­remember the people, not by name because there were so many of them, that got killed.

“The present day needs to remember that had it not been for them, we would have all been speaking German.”;

George Durrant, 100, from Crawley, West , tried to procure while serving in the Burmese jungle on VE day.

Grief too raw

He said of Victory in Europe: “I remember it being a big deal and everyone was so pleased. We heard it over the radio.

“We spent ages trying to get some beer and we managed to in the end. It wasn’t a long celebration though, we didn’t get any time off really.

“There was a Dakota aircraft that dropped off some beer. The war out where I was wasn’t over yet, though.”;

Other veterans, though, have told their story to royalty — including RAF codebreaker Bernard Morgan, who sat beside the in the VIP stand outside for the VE Day celebrations on Monday.

After showing Catherine photos of himself during the war, former sergeant Bernard, from Crewe, asked the Princess if she was learning Welsh. He recalled: “She told me, ‘I know bore da and nost al — good morning and good night’.

“I told her, ‘The one you’ll have to learn is a little village with the longest number of letters in’.”;

Kate was stunned to learn Bernard was 101 years old.

He added: “She said, ‘I thought you were about 75!’

“Then she brought her children one at a time, and the three of them shook hands with me.”;

Bernard still has the telex he was sent 48 hours before VE Day informing him that the war was over. He said: “Then after two days we got another message, ‘the German war is over’.

The 46 veterans were joined by a con-gregation of 1,500 for the open-air service of remem-brance as a World War Two Spitfire and Hurricane fighter performed a dramatic fly-past.

D-Day veteran Jack Mortimer, 101, from Leeds, who sat next to while he watched Monday’s procession in London, wiped away a tear listening to the moving service at the Arboretum.

Michael Goldstein told the service how his dad Jack died just 58 days before VE Day when his Lancaster bomber was shot down over Nuremberg.

Royal British Legion volunteer Michael said: “My dad was the only one of the seven-man crew who didn’t make it.

“My mother, Sadie, refused to believe it. Her letters in June 1945 still breathe with hope. She scoured for news and nagged the Air Ministry, clinging to the thought he was still alive, wounded somewhere.

“Jack’s crew mates told her my dad was shot dead while bailing out. They knew that wasn’t true — he never got out of the burning plane. Perhaps they felt guilt in leaving my dad behind.

“When they came to see my mum to pay their respects, she sent them packing.

“Her grief too raw, her anger deep. with great happiness in the streets, but for some it was also a reminder of those who didn’t come home.

“Let us honour not just the victory but the price so many paid for it.”;