VE Day celebration draws crowds

Grantham House has re-opened to the community with a VE Day celebration to showcase the district’s military heritage.

More than 500 people attended the event, held in partnership with South Kesteven District Council.

Visitors to the National Trust property were treated to sights and stories of restored WWII Willys jeeps, an exhibition of military history talks, music and teas on the lawn.

The day also illustrated SKDC’s Soldiers from the Sky project, made possible by National Lottery players and illustrating how locally-based allied paratroopers contributed to the end of the war.

SKDC Armed Forces Champion Cllr Bridget Ley said: “We were delighted to work with the National Trust to mark such an auspicious military milestone.

“It was a superb opportunity to illustrate the district’s huge contribution to the end of the war thanks to the allied efforts of British, American and Polish paratroopers who trained here for D-Day and Arnhem and flew from local airfields."

Two US-branded jeeps and re-enactors evoked memories of American Pathfinder troops who flew from RAF North Witham to Normandy on the eve of D-Day, dropping paratroopers to lay markers for the inbound airborne invasion - with another jeep in British WWII livery.

WW2 jeeps evoke the past

Heritage displays included the American mission from North Witham, another from Barkston Heath Research Group, plus the 1944 mid-air training collision overhead Carlton Scroop in 1944 that killed seven decorated US veterans and the squadron mascot dog.

Wartime singer Melody Flyte was joined by London-based entertainer Count Indigo.

Melody

Dr Henry Cutten, Local Partnerships Co-ordinator for the National Trust, said: "Sunday’s event was a great way to launch Grantham House being open to the public.

"We hope to host many more local events like this and become a place that’s really at the heart of the community, hosting craft and book groups, mindfulness and nature activities, and more.

"We are already working with the fantastic Grow Your Wings Yoga to host classes here with the next session being on Sunday 25 May.

"We’ve been absolutely delighted with the reactions we’ve had from visitors so far and are excited to continue welcoming more and more local people to enjoy this peaceful oasis.”

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