Raising the flags for VE Day
A POIGNANT moment in the history of Wick occurred on Friday morning that would have been unseen by most of the town's population.
Caithness General Hospital staff, who are involved in the coronavirus battle, looked on as ex-servicemen raised flags in memory of another conflict which ended exactly 75 years before.
Victory in Europe was declared on May 8, 1945, signalling the end of World War II in Europe with the German surrender.
Five flags were raised at 11am by RBL Scotland veterans, under the command of Denny Swanson, in front of the hospital to honour the casualties and various services involved in the conflict.
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9 / 9The Union Jack was followed by flags representing the Royal Navy, Merchant Navy, RAF and British Army.
Alex Paterson, chairman of RBLS Wick, Canisbay and Latheron, read out an extract from Laurence Binyon’s poem For the Fallen, followed by the Kohima Epitaph.
The other servicemen there were Tommy Munro, Angus Mackay, Kevin McDonald and George Sinclair.
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6 / 6“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
“Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
“At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
“We will remember them.
“When you go home, Tell them of us and say,
“For your tomorrow, We gave our today.”
The event may have been "low-key", as Mr Paterson had said in advance, but with lockdown restrictions in place an added a sense of pathos was very much a part of the morning's ceremony as nurses and patients watched from a safe distance.