#KillyleaghVE80 #VEDay2025 #WWIICommemoration #KillyleaghHistory #ShrigleyHeroes #VE80Appeal #BritishLegionKillyleagh #WWIISoldiers #UKRemembranceEvents
An appeal has been launched for relatives of Scottish, Welsh, and English soldiers stationed in Killyleagh, Northern Ireland, during World War Two as the town prepares for its 80th VE Day anniversary celebrations this May.
Organisers of the four-day commemoration are inviting family members to help honour those who served, particularly the many soldiers who settled in Killyleagh and Shrigley after the war. The tribute is part of a nationwide VE Day 2025 programme, led by King’s Pageantmaster Bruno Peek, and will highlight Killyleagh’s role during the war years from 1939 to 1945.
A key element of the celebration is an act of remembrance on VE Day, Thursday 8 May, at the Killyleagh War Memorial, recognising both local heroes and those who adopted the town as home post-war. This includes soldiers like George Passey, Frank Healy, Maurice ‘Chico’ Owens, Johnny Singleton, Alex Wilson, Peter Brown, Joe Jackson, and Wilmar Roberts, who made a lasting impact on the community.
APPEAL 1: Organisers are seeking names of other English, Scottish, or Welsh soldiers who settled in Killyleagh after WWII.
APPEAL 2: Families of the individuals listed above are urged to make contact to take part in the VE Day ceremony by placing a poppy cross or floral tribute at the memorial.
Contact:
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Billy Croskery, Royal British Legion Killyleagh
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Ann Fee, Sloane’s History Group
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Chris Hagan, Event Coordinator
The remembrance will also honour the 21 local men who paid the ultimate sacrifice during WWII, including:
John Anderson, Robert Berner, Patrick Doyle, William Alexander Dempster, James Alexander Fee, John Gilmore, John Eyre Gordon, Francis Hannity, Albert Jess, Charles Kelly, Thomas Killops, Samuel Morrison, Samuel Morrow, William Murphy, George McCormick, David McDowell, Frederick Perry, Harry Rooney, Martin Thompson, Alexander Withers, and James McConnell.
VE Day 2025 Schedule Highlights – Killyleagh
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Thursday 8 May, 9:30 PM:
Lighting of the town beacon in Castle Square, carrying of the Lamp of Peace from Shrigley, and church bell ringing at St John’s Church of Ireland – just like in 1945. -
Open-Air Musical Tribute – “Swingtime Starlets”
Recreating the WWII dance hall experience, this vintage harmony trio will perform classics from Vera Lynn and the Golden Age of Swing, just as the American GIs danced to in 1942.
Location: Castle Square – Bring your own seating. -
Youth Marching Display
Young people from Ballygowan and Killyleagh will recreate a commemorative marching display originally performed before Princess Catherine in London. -
History Walking Trails – Thursday & Sunday
Two WWII-themed historical walking tours through Killyleagh, focusing on the impact of the Belfast Blitz, local war contributions, and buildings linked to notable figures such as Military Cross recipient Sir John Gorman and Sir Richard Pim, Churchill’s wartime map room chief.
These events aim to honour the legacy of those who served and to reconnect families with the rich wartime history rooted in Killyleagh.
