COUNTY residents commemorated the 75th anniversary of victory in Europe despite the coronavirus lockdown.

Across the county, different displays were put up to mark the occasion, with county firm DRPG lighting up its Hartlebury headquarters to celebrate VE Day.

Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire Lt. Col. Patrick Holcroft, paid tribute, saying: “On this the 75th Anniversary of VE day, may I extend my best wishes to the World War 2 veterans within the county of Worcestershire.

“To you we owe so much not least our thanks and prayers at this particularly difficult time.”

Mayor of Worcester Allah Ditta recorded a video tribute from home, saying: “Unfortunately, due to this coronavirus, I can’t be present and many of my colleagues can’t be present either.We are celebrating the 75th anniversary of VE Day and I would like to take this opportunity to share that with you, some of the men and women of all nationalities who gave their lives for us to enjoy this period.”

A remarkable Worcestershire woman whose top secret codebreaking work has recounted her memories of the first VE Day in a new podcast.

Betty Webb, who is 96, was working as a codebreaker at Bletchley Park in 1945 and was permitted a day’s leave on May 8 to enjoy the victory celebrations in London.

She said: “There were so many people that I really didn’t have to consciously walk, I was just carried along with the mob.”

As she was working in the Japanese section at Bletchley, Mrs Webb, from Wythall, had to return to Buckinghamshire the day after VE Day to carry on work as normal.

Mrs Webb has taken part in a new “Voices of VE Day” podcast made by ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, in which veterans and celebrities who were alive at the time discuss their memories from 75 years ago.

Mrs Webb’s recollections form part of a VE Day podcast, which distils 1,000 years of life experience, featuring first-hand accounts from guests including Betty Boothroyd (Baroness Boothroyd of Sandwell, former Speaker of the House of Commons), Dame Patricia Routledge, war evacuee Sir Derek Jacobi, a former ATS Driver Mechanic (aged 94), a Chelsea Pensioner (aged 96) and 102-year-old Captain Jack Swaab MC, alongside many others.