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On Saturday 10th May 2025, Leeds Minster hosted the civic VE/VJ Day Celebrations.
As the country celebrated, commemorated, and reflected on the end of the war, the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung hosted a civic event in the Minster. Invited guests include royal representatives and civic leaders from across West Yorkshire, along with diplomats and ambassadors.
During the ceremony Jack Mortimer, one of the last surviving veterans of D-Day, was presented with the prestigious Leeds Award on Saturday in a special civic event commemorating both VE and VJ Day.
The Leeds Award formally recognises the achievement of people who have made an enormous contribution to the city, with their names proudly displayed on the wall in the antechamber of Leeds Civic Hall.
101-year-old Jack was only 20 years old when he landed on Sword Beach in Normandy on D-Day, serving as a jeep driver and a despatch rider. Later in 1944, Jack served in Antwerp where he was constantly under threat from V1 missiles.
The Leeds Award not only recognises Jack as a veteran of D-Day, but also his tireless work supporting the Royal British Legion.
The event also featured orchestral, choir, and bagpipe performances, contemporary songs of the war era, and personal stories of Leeds people who contributed to the victory. Focusing on a timeline running through the nearly six years of war, the testimonies will not just examine the stories of those who fought, but contributions from the Women’s Land Army, firefighters, the home front in Leeds, and the contribution of the royal family.
