Nation falls silent on anniversary of VE Day in honour of wartime heroes

Scotland fell silent to remember its wartime heroes, with a series of events taking place around the country to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.

- by Stuart Reid

At the Scottish Parliament and at public spaces including train stations, a national two-minute silence was observed at midday.

Holyrood Presiding Officer Alison Johnson said: “We honour the generation that gave so much to secure our peace and freedoms. We owe it to them to strive for that peace, to remember and to encourage future generations to remember."

Party leaders also marked the anniversary in a series of tributes before First Minister's Questions.

John Swinney paid tribute to his uncle Corporal Tom Hunter of 43 Royal Marine Commando, who died on April 3, 1945 in Comacchio, Italy. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for offering himself as a target to German guns in order to save his own troop during the battle. The First Minister said: “I think of my uncle, Thomas Hunter, killed in Italy protecting his comrades 35 days before the end of the war.”