VE Day 80: “True hero” D-Day veteran, 102, helps honour role of Cotswolds in bringing peace to Europe
Kemble D-Day veteran Alan ‘Mac’ McQuillin was guest of honour at a special VE Day event which marked 80 years since the end of WW2 in Europe and honoured the role of the Cotswolds in bringing peace.
The 102-year-old joined councillors, Royal British Legion veterans, serving members of the forces, and other dignitaries at the commemoration at the Cotswold District Council offices in Cirencester yesterday afternoon (Wednesday 7 May).
The event included talks from local history societies about the role the Cotswold played in the war, speeches from the Chair of Cotswold District Council Cllr Nikki Ind and Leader of the Council Cllr Joe Harris, and the raising of a special VE Day flag.
Other special guests at the event included Capt. Guy Disney, Deputy Lieutenant Gloucestershire Lieutenancy, a veteran who served in Afghanistan and the first amputee jockey to win at a professional racecourse in Britain; representatives from the US armed forces based in the region, and leading members of local branches of the Royal British Legion.
Talking about his memories of VE Day, Mr McQuillan, said he was in India as part of a peacekeeping force on the day itself. When they heard about the victory, they went to a Calcutta restaurant.
“Everyone ate chicken and chips and drank Indian beer,” he said. “And we sat on the balcony singing British songs
“The Indians thought we had gone mad, they didn’t know what it was all about!”
Speaking at the commemoration, Cllr Joe Harris paid special tribute to Mr McQuillin, who was 21 and part of the RAF when he travelled to France for the D-Day landings, saying he was a “hero, in the truest sense of the word” and that it was an honour to have him at the event.
“Without him, and many others like him, there would be no VE Day to commemorate,” said Cllr Harris. “I’m so proud that he is a Cotswold resident.”
In her speech, Cllr Ind reflected on what the end of WW2 meant for the people of the Cotswolds and beyond.
“While this was a momentous day, the physical, emotional and societal scars of a long, painful war would be discernible forever,” she said.
“As we reflect on VE Day, and the end of the second world war in Europe, we will never forget what the people of this nation endured.
“And we will never forget the thousands of brave soldiers who gave their lives to rid the world of the axis of evil that had posed an existential threat to freedom.
“That we can commemorate VE Day, 80 years on, shows that their sacrifice wasn’t in vain. We are eternally grateful.”
Guests at the event were also given the opportunity to donate to the Royal British Legion.