Haslemere came together on VE Day to honour both the end of the war in Europe and one of their own who lived through it in uniform. Lion Green was packed with hundreds of visitors, bunting, and even a flying visit from a Spitfire, but 98-year-old Jane Knox-Wilson, a former Wren who served during the Second World War, was the guest of honour.

Jane joined the Women's Royal Naval Service, known as the Wrens, in 1944 at the age of 17, serving until 1949.

The Wrens played a crucial part in Britain’s war effort. Their duties ranged from wireless telegraphy and radar operation to aircraft maintenance and driving. Some even worked in intelligence and code-breaking at Bletchley Park. Their service freed up men for sea duty and helped lay the groundwork for women's full integration into the Royal Navy in 1993.

Jane’s whole family was involved in the war effort. Her father was one of the men rescued from Dunkirk, and her brother, awarded the Military Cross, fought on the front lines during the push into Germany. Her sister served in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, and her mother ran the local station canteen with the Women’s Voluntary Service.

Despite nightly trips to the bomb shelter at boarding school as German bombers passed overhead, Jane said she initially found the war quite “fun”.

“At 13, you can’t grasp the seriousness of what is happening,” she said.

The VE Day ceremony was opened by town mayor Olly Leach, with appearances by the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, Michael More-Molyneux, and MP Greg Stafford.

Together, they paid tribute to the veterans of WWII and to those who kept the home front running, with MP Greg Stafford mentioning his own grandfather, one of only two Haslemere men rescued from Dunkirk.