World War Two

Jack Lyon was shot down in a raid on Dusseldorf in June 1941 and spent almost four years as a PoW.

While Britons flooded into the streets to celebrate the end of war in Europe, the crews of Bomber Command remained cautious.

Ten days before VE Day was officially announced on 8 May 1945, 22-year-old Eric Reedman was stationed in Brussels with 80 Wing.

Typhoon fighter pilot Derek Lovell received the best present of all on 5 May 1945, when Germany announced its surrender to the Allied forces on his 23rd birthday.

For troops involved in Operation Manna, one of the RAF's first humanitarian aid missions, the knowledge they were helping to save lives rather than destroy them was key.

Enduring friendship and camaraderie borne out of shared experiences has bound a unique group of military veterans for more than 70 years.