As the country gears up for a huge celebration to mark 80 years since Victory in Europe, I am writing to tell you about the plans for some incredible VE day celebrations here in Aldbourne, Wiltshire, temporary home to Easy Company, 506th regiment of 101st division, or “Band of Brothers’.
The highlight for us here at Aldbourne Post Office, Cafe and Deli is the unveiling of a Blue Plaque to honour Major Richard ‘Dick’ Winters and Harry F Welch at 1pm on Sunday 4th May outside the shop at 13 The Square, Aldbourne. These esteemed gentlemen were invited to stay at the Post office (back then it was the village shop) whilst they were stationed in Aldbourne. This popular tale has been made famous by Steven Spielberg’s hit series ‘Band of Brothers’ . We are pleased to share that the actor who starred as Harry Welch, Rick Warden will be unveiling our plaque and the event will be attended by direct family members of Dick Winters
Other events planned to take part over that weekend of Saturday/Sunday 3/4 May 2025 include Living History Groups, re-enactment Groups and local military cadets taking part in displays and a mechanised rally of military vehicles including a Sherman tank to Littlecote House and Ramsbury (where American troops were also stationed). These military vehicles will also be stationed around Palmers Field in Aldbourne, and this living history event is intended to recreate the former Aldbourne Camp. It will see re-enactors and displays that will be representative of the many British and Allied occupants of the then active military installation, the most famous of which is Easy Company 506 PIR. There will also be a Spitfire flypast 12 pm on Sunday 4th May.
After our unveiling there will be a Commemorative tree planting, in honour of our oldest surviving veteran, Cecil ‘Hugh’ Newton, who at 101 has become rather famous! He was recently featured in the D Day events and has written a book ‘A Troopers Tale’ which is on sale in the shop at present and all proceeds go towards these fantastic events. As we are in the process of twinning with the French town of Creully sur Seulles near the British Normandy Memorial, their school children will be visiting Aldbourne over this weekend and will sing alongside The Shrivenham Military Wives Choir, and Aldbourne Choir, after the tree planting. The weekend will finish with a 1945s themed Victory in Europe concert by our Championship Aldbourne Band.
We expect around 1000 veterans and their families to attend over the weekend, many are tracing family members who were stationed here in the last years of WW2 from America – We expect the village to be very busy with food stalls and parties over the weekend. I would like to invite you share in our celebrations and honour Victory in Europe and the freedoms it allows us all to enjoy.
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