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Flypasts, parades and parties mark Liberation Day

Jack Silver & Archie Farmer
BBC News
BBC A picture of people posing in a vehicle that was parading in the cavalcade. The vehicles are green in colour on a grey road.BBC
Crowds lined coast for the traditional cavalcade at L'Eree

Guernsey has celebrated the 80th anniversary of the end of German Occupation during World War Two.

It was marked with a visit from Princess Anne, a cavalcade and a memorial service at the Town Church.

The day started with a two-minute silence at 09:00 BST, followed later by a parade of veterans and military personnel through St Peter Port.

The Princess Royal, who read a speech on behalf of the King, said the monarch sent his "warmest greetings" to the people of the islands.

The Princess Royal in a cream coat meets members of the public in front of a marquee.
The Princess Royal heard the stories of people who stayed in Guernsey during the war

The princess inspected the guard of honour before she addressed islanders.

"I am delighted to return to Guernsey and thank you for inviting me to join you as you celebrate Liberation Day and remember those who lived through Occupation or deportation," she said.

In St Peter Port, crowds gathered with cheers and cameras out as they captured the momentous day.

Organisers said more than 170 military vehicles took part in the traditional Liberation Day cavalcade.

A tortoise named Timmy, who is 87 and lived through Occupation, led the celebrations on top of one of the vehicles taking part.

A picture of a red car with the tortoise in a cage on top of it. It has a logo on the side of the car with a picture of the animal. The crowds are lined up along the side of the streets.
Timothy the tortoise was one of the stars
A picture of people walking with donkeys and goats along the streets. They are wearing white shirts with the donkeys on a lead.
Royal Guernsey goats and donkeys paraded the streets

Maggie Cull, Timmy's owner, was a baby in 1941 when German forces made her family leave their home in Guernsey.

She said her family did not expect the tortoise to survive.

Meanwhile, vintage aircraft including a Harvard and a Hurricane delighted crowds from the skies.

The Harvard was first built in 1942 and was one of the most important training planes for the Allies.

A picture of a Harvard and Hurricane in the sky. There are two planes with the one on the right a grey coloured plane with yellow stripes.
A Harvard and a Hurricane, important planes for the Allies, took to the skies

Historian Chris Oliver said the Hurricane was the backbone of the Royal Air Force during World War Two.

"That one is the last remaining flying hurricane from the Battle of Britain," he said.

"She shot down a load of German aircraft during the Battle of Britain - she was shot down herself, found in a shed, rebuilt and restored to a flying condition."

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