of people from caribbean nations who volunteered to serve with the british armed forces is to be marked with a permanent memorial at the national arboretum in staffordshire. our correspondent sian lloyd has been speaking to some of those involved. her report was filmed before the current lockdown was imposed. albert jarrett, aged 18, one of around 10,000 people who left the caribbean to join the war effort. we were needed at this height of the war. our services were needed. and we were very anxious to give our service to the country that protected us, because we were british citizens and this was our mother country, we were told. the place they set sail for was very different to home, on board ships that were cramped and uncomfortable. in those days, ships had to move in convoy because if they are not in convoy, don't forget, the german u—boat is going to get rid of them. and for that reason, 23 long days on the sea before we get here, and we came here and i remember when we got to bristol, i saw the promised land! what was known at the time as a colour bar had restricted recruitment to

contribution of thousands of people from caribbean nations who volunteered to serve with the british armed forcesloyd has been speaking to some of those involved. her report was filmed before the lockdown was imposed. albert jarrett, aged 18, one of around 10,000 people who left the caribbean to join the war effort. we were needed at this height of the war. our services were needed. and we were very anxious to give our service to the country that protected us, because we were british citizens and this was our mother country, we were told. the place they set sail for was very different to home, on board ships that were cramped and uncomfortable. in those days, ships had to move in convoy because if they are not in convoy, don't forget, the german u—boat is going to get rid of them. and for that reason, 23 long days on the sea before we get here, and we came here and i remember when we got to bristol, i saw the promised land! what was known at the time as a colour bar had restricted recruitment to the armed forces, but by 1941 advertisements in newspapers invited people from the west indies tojoin

contribution of thousands of people from caribbean nations who volunteered to serve with the british armed forcest sian lloyd has been speaking to some of those involved. her report was filmed before the current lockdown was imposed. albert jarrett, aged 18, one of around 10,000 people who left the caribbean to join the war effort. we were needed at this height of the war. our services were needed. and we were very anxious to give our service to the country that protected us, because we were british citizens and this was our mother country, we were told. the place they set sail for was very different to home, on board ships that were cramped and uncomfortable.

let's speak now to the most senior uniformed officer in the british armed forces, general sir nicholasre it's always these commemorative events are special for all because it gives us a chance to remember what our forebears it gives us a chance to remember what ourforebears did it gives us a chance to remember what our forebears did in defeating the germans in this particular case and of course we remember their values and what they stood for and the sense of teamwork that saw them through. their positivity, their high spirits and good spirits in adversity. and of course the sacrifice they make. it's very important for the modern military to remember. general, of course, because of coronavirus, things are very different this year in terms of the major events which many military would have been involved in. can you give us a sense of how you have had to change what has been planned because you obviously it is all having to be done remotely but what we have been able to do is prerecord some events respecting social distancing and all that and the programme that the bbc is showing this af

arms. another general signs. the american general from the eighth air force. ♪ british air marshal. ♪ the french general.r. the war in europe has ended. ♪ in berlin, the brandenburg tower still stands. amid the ruins, people wander here and there. not much else remains. in southern germany, allied troops move forward to complete the occupation of the country. ♪ the eagle's nest at berc htesgarden, formerly hitler's mountain retreat. ♪ munich lies in ruins. the famous beer hall, little remains. ♪ one of the first war criminals is captured, hermann goering. ♪ he is interviewed by allied newspapermen. ♪ field marshal castlekesselring, former commander of german troops in italy. ♪ field marshal vaughnon rumstedt, former of the west. -- former commander of the west. ♪ hermann frank, former governor general of poland, high on the list of war criminals. ♪ field marshal von kleiss. ♪ an admiral, former regent of hungary. ♪ the tall man is artur seiss-inquart, from austria. he will be brought to trial. ♪ in austria, the last german armies in the south had already surrendered. ♪ lieutenant general brandenburger of

armed forces charity. also bob gamble, assistant director of commemorative events for the royal british legion.u from other commemorations of this nature? good morning. it's really important to recognise that ve day is a chance to recognise that ve day is a chance to appreciate the victory over nazi germany. we should neverforget to appreciate the victory over nazi germany. we should never forget that regimes like that are a danger and we must be alert to that today. but it's also a real opportunity to celebrate the individual courage, self—sacrifice, commitment, of ordinary men and women across the country. it is wonderful we are seeing the same today. certainly in ssafa, the armed forces charity, those we help are always saying there are others more in need than we are. it's those values that make this so special. bob, i'm sure you would echo those thoughts about remembering the sacrifice of those who survived and those who didn't. but a very different sort of day from the one you had expected to ta ke from the one you had expected to take part in today. how have you adapted to the challenges

alongside british and us representatives the french were now also part of the delegation of the victorious powers germany sent general field marshal will home title chief of the armed forces high command the surrender document was signed over night from the 8th to the 9th of may. it stated. we the undersigned acting by authority of the german high command hereby surrender unconditionally to the supreme commander allied expeditionary force and simultaneously to the supreme high command of the red army all forces on land at sea and in the air who were at this date under german control. several days after the formal end of the war one of the most notorious nazi leaders surrendered to the allies. writes marshall hammond giving had long been the 2nd most powerful man in the 3rd reich but in the final weeks of the war he fell from grace and was removed from his positions by hitler after the regimes collapse he still believed he had a role to play as a statesman and was shocked when he was stripped of his weapon and imprisoned like a regular soldier. f.a. to nibble meant the moment the americans arrested him so he fell back into his old room. also particular he maintained i was

british weapons manufacturers one the biggest contract on our arms deal. and the option that they presented was 2 and a half times more expensive than the plane that the south african air force actually wanted to be a the system's real performance real advantage. as monday was about to step down from public life its successor tabel and betty made the decision to spend around $10000000000.00 quite scarce public resources on this weaponry that we didn't need. rather than provide lifesaving me. cation for the almost 6000000 south africans who were then living with hiv. the primary reason for those deals was that around $300000000.00 in bribes were paid to senior politicians. and sadly to the african national congress the a.n.c. my own party. i was called in by a senior member of the a.n.c. is national executive council he said to me look angry this is a battle you cannot win because this money to bribe years we used to fund our 999 election. and almost immediately i'm asked to make a statement to the press that says there's nothing to investigate. it's all over. and i looked at him last said no it's not. i won't be able to live with myself if i stop this investigation but at th