Feb 16 - Gibraltar to Commemorate 75th Anniversary of Evacuation
May 22nd 2015 will mark the 75th anniversary of the Evacuation of Gibraltar’s civilian population during the Second World War, with the elderly and the infirm evacuated to French Morocco, then to London, Jamaica, Madeira and later Northern Ireland.
Events planned for the marking of the 75th Anniversary include an exhibition, a commemoration service, a book launch, a memorial film and a reception. The National Archives has initiated the commemoration by released details of vessels and names of evacuees on their website.
The Archives are further conducting a register of living evacuees ‘in order to measure the size of this population and to inform the planning of commemorative events.’ Those who were evacuated can register by filling in an online form.
They will receive a personal registration number once the form is completed, these will enable the office of the archives to collect and preserve the historical data. Alternatively those wishing to register can visit the office of the National Archives on Secretary’s Lane.
Commenting on the landmark anniversary, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the evacuation helped form the Gibraltarian’s sense of identity. He added, ‘the Government of Gibraltar should commemorate the sacrifice that those men, women and children were called upon to make for the War effort. There will be more details made available in the weeks to come. I also want to take the opportunity to thank the Government Archivist, Anthony Pitaluga, for his assistance with and enthusiasm for this project.’
