Channel Islands mark 76th anniversary of Liberation Day
The Channel Islands have once again come together to mark the anniversary of their liberation.
76 years ago, British soldiers arrived in Jersey and Guernsey to end a long, grueling five-year occupation by German forces in which many lost their lives and many others endured enormous hardship.
While coronavirus restrictions mean that, for the second year in a row, celebrations have had to be scaled back, islanders were still able to join in remembering the sacrifices made by so many and acknowledging the freedoms they now enjoy as a result.
Across the Bailiwicks, many events have been moved online to allow people to celebrate the anniversary much closer to home.
2021 will see Guernsey's first island-wide cavalcade, taking in all ten parishes to bring the spirit of the day out into the community.
The islands' flags were flown above the Ministry of Justice in London to mark the occasion.
In Guernsey, the day began with the sounding of the siren from the Victoria Tower, in remembrance of those who fought in the Second World War.
As is tradition, The Bailiff lay a wreath of remembrance at the War Memorial in St Peter Port.
He said it was vital that the island continued to acknowledge the struggle endured by so many during the Occupation.
Today marked the Bailiff's first Liberation Day since he was sworn in in May 2020.
In Jersey, a special sitting of the States Assembly took place to mark the anniversary. Numbers were limited in the Chamber due to coronavirus restrictions.
The live-stream of the sitting also included messages from the Bailiff and the Dean of Jersey, who shared their hopes for the future and gave thanks to those who lived through the Occupation for the sacrifices they had made.
WATCH the sitting in full here:
A 12 Churches Cavalcade took place in Jersey, having been postponed from Boxing Day 2020.
People lined the streets of St Helier to watch the vintage vehicles - some of which survived the Occupation itself - as they departed from Broad Street to visit every Parish church in the island.
Meanwhile, people in Guernsey got to enjoy the island's first island-wide cavalcade. The event saw a hundred military vehicles visiting all ten parishes in the island.
With gatherings in town being discouraged this year, islanders came out onto their doorsteps to greet the convoy as it came past.