They have grown old and age has wearied them, unlike the young men shot out of the skies of occupied Europe in the Second World War. Surrounded by scones and mugs of tea, a handful of RAF veterans sit around a resplendent room at the RAF Benevolent fund’s office in Central London, laughing and reminiscing as they might once have done in an Officers’ Mess in between daring raids over Nazi territory.

But whereas they once ran to aircraft fully aware of the risks and life expectancy of air crews, some are now helped into seats by carers - their bodies frail but their minds sharp. As a former soldier, it is difficult to put into words how it feels to be in the presence of the few remaining veterans of a generation who continue to set the standard for all that is good within Britain’s armed forces. They thank me for coming, as if afternoon tea with members of the greatest generation is some kind of chore. It is I who should be thanking them, and I do so throughout the afternoon.

I sit with George Dunn, a former pilot who flew 44 missions over Germany in Halifax bombers and Mosquitos, including the Peenemunde Raid as part of the overall Operation Crossbow to disrupt German secret weapon development.

80 years ago, George was one of the thousands who descended on Trafalgar Square in the wake of Germany’s surrender. Events this week have brought those memories back vividly.

He recounts: “We had drinks in the mess, then in the afternoon my crew piled into a car and went down to Trafalgar Square and joined in the festivities with the locals!

“The atmosphere was terrific. After six years of conflict, to be able to go out into the open without worrying if there were any jerries about - It was a really lovely day and we were very lucky to have got through our tours.”

He recalls events from nearly a century ago with a twinkle in his eye and a wry grin, but as with many veterans of conflict, the memories of terror and danger remain forever.

His first mission was over Essen in Germany’s industrial heartland, a baptism of fire for a young combat pilot.

He adds: “It was strange, the flak was very heavy that night and I thought to myself ‘if we are going to get through this tour, we will be very lucky’ because the life expectancy for an aircrew was six weeks in which time you would have done three or four trips but fortunately we got through the whole tour of 30.”

As a young pilot, George had to conduct his first mission with an experienced crew before leading his own.

He remembers: “When I got back the first time, my crew were very anxious to find out what it was like, so I said to them ‘when you pack your gear to go on your first trip, make sure you take a clean pair of underpants with you’.”

Sitting across from George, I am acutely aware of my access to a window of history that is rapidly closing. The lessons on offer are abundant, and at a time when war is once more raging in Europe, they couldn’t be more timely.

Colin Bell, 104, also flew Mosquitoes and passionately warned about the need to learn from history to ensure that future generations do not have to achieve freedom the difficult way once more.

He tells me: “There was a Roman general who said if you want peace, prepare for war.

“We certainly didn’t follow that lesson in the 30s. We weren’t spending money on defence, and believe it or not, in the early 30s, we were trying to persuade European countries to disarm in the face of Hitler, who was getting his war machine into shape and arming up to the teeth.

Colin is forthright and uncompromising in his views, a trait common in many of his generation and ruefully lacking in modern society, where messages are too often diluted to ensure they don’t offend.

The government has pledged to increase defence spending to 2.5% by April 2027 and to 3% in the next parliament but Colin believes this is too slow, an opinion he has delivered in person to those in government.

He adds: “I would like to see 5% spent now. I know it would mean cutting back on all sorts, but security is most important. If you haven’t got it, you have nothing.”

The veterans were brought together by the RAF Benevolent Fund, an organisation that has helped RAF members for over 100 years.

The pair have tirelessly fundraised for the charity, with Colin raising more than £10,000 in 2023 by abseiling down the 17-storey Royal London Hospital—winning a Guinness World Record as the oldest person to abseil down a building in the process.

Declan Geraghty is the fund's Friendship and Connections Manager and has been vital to the organisation's efforts to celebrate and thank veterans who remain on VE Day.

An RAF veteran himself, he keeps a photo of his WW2 veteran grandfather in his wallet as a reminder of why he continues to support those who served.

As I drink tea with heroes, it dawns on me that much of remembrance is steeped in traditions that stem from the years following the First and Second World Wars, with the physical presence of veterans playing a vital part in commemorations.

As we mark the final milestone where veterans of the conflict are able to attend in great numbers, I wonder what form remembrance will take once we no longer have the privilege of their presence on anniversaries.

Declan, however, doesn’t believe that remembrance will fundamentally change once the final veteran has passed.

He said: “Personally, I don’t think it does because there is always the next generation who served so sadly as we approach the twilight years of the Second World War generation, we then start to support the National Service generation and so on.

“I think the events that we have seen this week show there is still a passion in the country to support those who have served and those who are still serving.”