2025 Holger Danske Memorial Ceremony

Just 1hr north of Sutton Scotney is the Parish of St Martin's, which includes Blenheim Palace, birth place of Sir Winston Churchill, and also St Martin's Church in the village of Bladon, where Churchill is buried.

It is here that the Holger Danske Memorial Ceremony takes place on the 4th May each year. The Holger Danske were one of the largest resistance groups in Denmark during WW2. It was at 1830 on the 4th May 1945 that a delegation from the German High Command surrendered unconditionally to Field Marshal Montgomery. This specific instrument of surrender agreed the surrender of all German armed forces in, amongst other places, Denmark. At the announcement of this surrender, and annually ever since, the Danish light candles in their windows to mark the moment of liberation.

In recent decades a wreath has been laid at the grave of Sir Winston Churchill by a representative of the Danish Embassy in London, and this year it was the Defence Attaché . Accompanying the small ceremony were 7 Standard Bearers; 5 from Oxfordshire, 1 from Northamptonshire, and myself from Hampshire.

It was a bitterly cold evening for the ceremony and quite breezy bringing a challenge for the Standard Bearers. However, this was very kindly compensated for by a drink at the White House pub, courtesy of Colin, Chair of the local RBL branch.

Benn Hitchen

Sutton Scotney & District Branch Standard Bearer