Islanders mark VE Day with moving film
The Slate Islands of Easdale, Seil and Luing will unite on Friday to mark VE Day with a toast and a moving broadcast on YouTube.
Gary Hamilton and Stuart Abercrombie, of GH Productions Argyll, have created a 14-minute video for the Legion Scotland Easdale Branch which will be shown from around 2.50pm on Friday.
It features a speech and toast given by John Alexander, the Luing-based chairman of the Legion Scotland Easdale branch.
Also starring is David Payn, of Easdale, playing the Last Post, and piper DJ MacDougall, of Seil (pictured), playing ‘The Battle’s O’er’ at Balvicar Memorial.
Standard bearer Donny Reynolds, also of Seil, is filmed lowering the flag.
Film-maker Mr Hamilton, of Seil, told The Oban Times: ‘It was spine-chillingly moving. I’ve had a tear in my eye going through the edit because I know what it means to them and the British Legion.
‘What an absolute honour it has been to work on such a beautiful piece of film.’
On Sunday, instead of the planned Interdenominational Church Service at Seil Island Hall, Martin Waddell, reader at Kilbrandon Church, will lead the service, again broadcast on YouTube.
To watch both events members of the public can head to GH Productions Argyll on You Tube from Friday or check out their Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ ghproductionsargyll/
Alternatively, people can email jandjalex@gmail.com who will reply with a link to the films.
The Easdale Branch of Legion Scotland had planned to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe with a toast outside the The Oyster Bar and Restaurant at Ellenabeich, complete with piper and a bell ringer.
That was part of a super weekend of celebrations it had lined-up including a VE75 Day at Seil Hall, which is now expected to take place later this year.
In his speech ahead of VE Day, Mr Alexander said: ‘In this Easdale Branch video, the communities of the Slate Islands have been united in a unique way.’
Among those remembering the occasion will be Sandy and Pam Shairp, who live on Luing.
Sandy was raised in Oban and is the most senior veteran of the branch and can remember VE Day on Tuesday, May 8, 1945.
That was the moment which signalled the official surrender of Nazi forces, bringing the Second World War to an end after six years, costing the lives of an estimated 70-85 million people worldwide.