b'We shall defend our island whateverthe cost may bePrime Minister Sir Winston Churchill,House of Commons, 4th June 1940This year marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day, the moment in which the Allied Forces accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. After so much loss of life and so many sacrifices made at home and overseas, resilience and hope had triumphed over tyranny and destruction. The war in the East would continue for some weeks yet, but 8thpeople of this country, the Commonwealth and May 1940 was a time to celebrate, take stock, andbeyond whose firm resolve and fortitude helped begin the task of rebuilding. Recently King Charles IIIdestroy Nazism and carry our allied nations through to spoke movingly about the importance of rememberingVE Day. That debt can never truly be repaid; but we the huge sacrifices that were made by the greatestcan, and we will, remember them.generation for future generations. Here, members of staff at Handsworth Grammar Now, as then, we are united in giving utmost thanksSchool share family stories of service from World War to all those who served in the Armed Forces, theTwo, in gratitude for the freedom which was won for uniformed services, the Home Front, indeed all theeach of us at so high a cost.The Alexander Familyand the Second World WarThe Second World War affected countless families across Britain, and the Alexander family was no exception.My grandad was one of five brothers. He and another brother were engineers and, as such, were not permitted to enlist for active service. A third brother, Douglas, served as a lorry driver throughout the war and, thankfully, returned home safely.William had joined the Royal Navy as a wireless operator and telegrapher before the war began. Tragically, he lost his life on 24th April 1940. He was one of just three men aboard a submarine that was torpedoed while in harbour at Narvik, Norway.John became a pilot in the Royal Air Force. He trained in Rhodesia and wrote home with great pride when he earned his wings in June 1941. Heartbreakingly, he was shot down over the Mediterranean on 7th April 1942just ten days before his 21st birthdaywhile flying from Egypt to Italy.The story of the Alexander family is just one of many.Mr Alexander26'