Veterans light flame as the Netherlands marks 80th anniversary of WWII liberation

World War II veterans watched military aircraft fly over a central Dutch town Monday as the Netherlands marked the 80th anniversary of its liberation by Allied troops from Nazi German occupation.

- AGENCIES

Festivities in Wageningen centered on a square outside the Hotel de Wereld, where German top brass signed papers on 5 May, 1945, that formally ended the brutal five-year occupation as the war drew to a close across Europe.

A small group of veterans, their chests decorated with medals and legs covered in blankets, sat on the front row watching the ceremony. They were given a standing ovation as they arrived.

Germany finally surrendered on 8 May, now known as Victory in Europe Day.

Liberation Day in the Netherlands is celebrated on 8 May, a day after the country observes two minutes of silence to honour its war dead.

Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans used the occasion to call for renewed efforts to nurture peace.