By Lieutenant General Sir Andrew Gregory KBE CB
CEO of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity
SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity is delighted to be in partnership with ‘Victory75: We’ll Meet Again’, commemorating and celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the end of World War II, incorporating both VE Day and VJ Day. Part of the proceeds from the book will bring in much needed funds to support the Armed Forces community.
It is wholly appropriate that we keep the events of the past alive, both to celebrate the service and sacrifice of so many people which have allowed us to enjoy today’s freedoms and also to try and ensure that a conflict on the scale of World War II never happens again. The VE Day anniversary comes during the Coronavirus lockdown when we are again seeking to overcome an existential threat, albeit very different by that posed by Nazi Germany and Japan in the 1940s. We should take inspiration from the stoic resilience of the British people during a war in which this Nation came extremely close to defeat and when families suffered loss and great deprivation; communities pulled together then, just as they are doing now.
Please support the events and this impressive publication; it celebrates the individuals who put the nation before themselves seventy five years ago, just as people are doing today. And, as well as supporting SSAFA – for which I am most grateful, if you know of veterans or military families in need, please tell them to seek our help, for often they are too proud to ask themselves.
Victory75: We’ll Meet Again!
Commemorative publication
SSAFA – the Armed Forces charity is excited to offer friends and supporters the opportunity to purchase Victory75: We’ll Meet Again – a 140 page, full-colour album chronicling Britain’s road from defeat to victory in a conflict which threatened the future of freedom in this country.
Topping the bill of writers is Dame Vera Lynn, whose songs spoke of love, sadness and hope, chiming with millions on both the home and battlefronts.“We’ll Meet Again” became an anthem of the war years, and has become so again in the current national emergency with Dame Vera and Katherine Jenkins recently taking it to the top of the charts – helped in no small way by Her Majesty the Queen invoking its spirit and meaning in her address to the Nation in the national emergency. Reflecting on all the sailors, soldiers and flyers Dame Vera saw leaving for war she writes “in my heart I still sing for them”.
Victory75: We’ll Meet Again also features an article by Prime Minister Boris Johnson who writes that “at the stroke of 11am on 8 May 19 church bells rang out across Britain… our debt to those who were present at that moment – surely the greatest generation of Britons who ever lived – can be simply expressed.
“Without their valour and sacrifice, all that is good and right would have perished from the earth”.
Vera Lynn and the Prime Minister are joined by tributes from the Heads of the Navy, Army and Air Force, as well as the Lord Lieutenants of Guernsey and Jersey, respectively HE Vice Admiral Sir Ian Corder and HE Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton who tell the story of the Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands, paying tribute to the fortitude of the local population.
Victory75: We’ll Meet Again chronicles the greatest conflict in the history of mankind from its roots in the inter-war period through six long years of struggle on both the home and battle fronts under the inspirational leadership of Winston Churchill – one of the greatest wartime Prime Ministers the world has ever known.
The Album is a tribute to courage and sacrifice and marks the moment 75 years ago when victory was finally secured by a people, and its Allies, who had suffered so mightily.
SSAFA is privileged to be still caring for some of those who played their part in that struggle, amongst the 80,000-plus it supports each year. Funds from the sale of Victory75: We’ll Meet Again will play an important role in helping SSAFA’s work – at a time when the coronavirus crisis is badly hitting charity sector revenue.
So, be part of this year’s Victory commemorations and celebrations by purchasing this superb souvenir publication which evokes the spirit of 75 years ago, as well as now – We’ll Meet Again.
Thank you for your support.
Advertisers & Sponsors
With thanks to our advertisers and sponsors at this challenging time.
From D-Day 75 to Victory 75
In 2019 our successful signature publication D-Day75, marking the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings and also produced by Integrative Media, generated significant revenue for our work, and we are confident that with your support this will be replicated, if not exceeded, by Victory 75.
SSAFA Chief Executive Lieutenant-General Sir Andrew Gregory presents HMS Westminster Commander Will Paston with a leather-bound copy of D-Day 75.
Victory75: We’ll Meet Again!
Commemorative publication
Her Majesty The Queen
SSAFA Patron
Boris Johnson
Prime Minister
Admiral Tony Radakin CB ADC
The First Sea Lord & Chief of the Naval Staff
General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith KCB CBE ADC Gen
The Chief of the General Staff
Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston CBE ADC
The Chief of the Air Staff
Dame Vera Lynn
The Forces’ Sweetheart
Special Features covering:
- How Britain celebrated victory including the speeches of King George V1 on VE-Day & VJ-Day; Prime Minister Winston Churchill, VE-Day, and Prime Minister Clement Attlee, VJ-Day.
- The Timeline to War from its roots in the inter-war years to Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939.
- The Timeline of War from Britain’s declaration of war on 3 September 1939 to Germany’s surrender on 8 May 1945 and Japan’s surrender on 15 August 1945.
- How Winston Churchill roared Britain from defeat at Dunkirk in 1940 to Victory in 1945.
- The role of women in World War ll from the Land Army to Special Operations Executive.
- The Nazi Occupation of the Channel Islands.
- How the Railways kept rolling.
- Northern Ireland – from the Belfast Blitz to the GI Invasion.
- The Battle of Britain at 80 – 2020’s other big anniversary.
ORDER YOUR COPY NOW
Price £12.50 – incl. post and packaging
Contact
Co-Publisher – Commercial
Julien Wildman: 07801 478425
julien.wildman@victory75.co.uk
Co-Publisher – Editorial
Alan Spence: 07402 319888
alan.spence@victory75.co.uk
Sponsored Advertising
There then, here now
SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity is the UK’s oldest national tri-service military charity
SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, supports the person behind the uniform; any time they need us, in any way they need us, for as long as they need us. Every year, SSAFA helps over 82,000 people from the Forces family get back on their feet; those currently serving, reserves, veterans and their families.
Support is there for people at any stage in their military career; from the youngest recruit to the oldest veteran – no one’s service is ever forgotten. We give hope, help and personal support for as long as it takes to get that person’s life back to where they want it to be.
HOW WE HELP
Through our UK-wide branch network, we’ve more than 5,000 volunteers. Of these, we have more than 3,000 trained SSAFA volunteer caseworkers who provide personalised, face-to-face support to those in their local area. Our trained welfare advisors and volunteers work with each person to find out exactly what they need. Once we’ve assessed what is required, we’ll help the individual or family access the required assistance. They may just need someone to listen. More often than not, we put them in touch with the support services they need to help them get their lives back on track. Whether it’s financial, practical or emotional, we provide the right kind of support – ensuring independence and dignity are protected at all times.
WHAT DO WE DO?
Welfare advice and support – Our UK-wide and overseas network of branches in local communities and service committees on military bases offer practical, financial and emotional support. We help serving personnel, reserves, veterans and their families with everything from financial hardship to family breakdown.
Specialist services – We mentor people as they transition from the military to civilian life, help families adopt, aid veterans in the criminal justice system and provide a support service to the UK Gurkha community. All our services are designed to meet the specific needs of the Forces community and are run by SSAFA employees, with support from teams of volunteers.
Housing – We offer a range of safe and comfortable housing options, including long-term accommodation for older and disabled veterans and short-term housing for families of injured service personnel and victims of domestic violence.
Health and social care services – We provide primary and community healthcare and social work services, on contract to the Ministry of Defence in 12 countries, including the UK.
Sometimes even the strongest among us need help. When anyone in our Forces family finds themselves in need, SSAFA is the charity they can turn to.
Our Objectives
SSAFA’s objectives in publishing Victory 75 are three-fold
1. Paying Tribute
The Allied Victory in World War II represents one of history’s most iconic and transformational military events. Combining great genius, courage and sacrifice, they re-kindled the light of freedom in Europe.
2. Raising Awareness
A small group of World War II veterans and their families are still cared for by SSAFA – a poignant reminder of the charity’s enduring commitment from which many thousands of veterans and their families benefit today.
3. Raising Funds
The Victory 75 publication is an important feature of this year’s fund-raising programme with SSAFA receiving an agreed percentage of all advertising and sales revenue.
Contact Us
For information regarding the Victory 75 publication, please use the contact details below to get in touch. For any enquiries related to SSAFA directly, please visit the SSAFA website for more information.
Julien Wildman – Commercial
Tel. 07801 478425 Email julien.wildman@victory75.co.uk
Alan Spence – Editorial
Tel. 07402 319888 Email alan.spence@victory75.co.uk
