Emotions were already running high among the British public when they tuned in to Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s BBC radio broadcast on May 8th, 1945. Many had already spent hours celebrating since hearing the news – less than 24 hours earlier – of victory for the Allied armies in Europe and the end of hostilities across the continent:
“Finally almost the whole world was combined against the evil-doers, who are now prostrate before us. Our gratitude to our splendid Allies goes forth from all our hearts in this island and throughout the British Empire. We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing; but let us not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead. Japan, with all her treachery and greed, remains un-subdued. The injury she has inflicted on Great Britain, the United States, and other countries, and her detestable cruelties, call for justice and retribution. We must now devote all our strength and resources to the completion of our task, both at home and abroad. Advance, Britannia! Long live the cause of freedom! God save the King!”
THE GERMAN RETREAT
Since 1943 it had been looking likely that Germany would lose the war. Its army was beaten by the Soviets at the Battle of Stalingrad in February of that year, and the Normandy landings in France by Western Allied forces in June 1944 was the start of the systematic retreat of the Germans back towards Berlin. In January 1945, the German capital was under siege by the Soviets, and Adolf Hitler withdrew to his underground bunker, where he would commit suicide on April 30.
SURRENDER
Following the end of the Battle of Berlin and Germany’s surrender to the Red Army, plus the surrender of German forces in Italy on May 2, a German delegation arrived at the headquarters of British Field Marshall Montgomery in Lüneburg Heath, near Hamburg, and agreed to the unconditional surrender of German forces in the Netherlands, North-western Germany and Denmark.
Three days later the German General Jodl signed the act of unconditional surrender of all German land, sea and air forces in Europe, which was accepted by Supreme Allied Commander General Eisenhower at his headquarters in Reims in north-eastern France.
THE COST OF WAR
Six years of World War II had cost the lives of millions, destroyed families, homes and cities. People had become used to living with blackouts, bombing raids and rationing of food and clothes. On hearing Churchill’s broadcast, there were many who started celebrating immediately, but the main celebrations were organised for the following day with street parties, dancing, singing, fireworks and bonfires.
CELEBRATING VICTORY
Streets were decorated and flags were strung up; pubs and dance halls were given extended opening hours, and restaurants created Victory menus. Celebrations took place across the country, but the largest crowds gathered in London, with some fifty thousand people at Piccadilly Circus at midnight.
In Paris, people filled the streets from Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe, while in New York, fifteen thousand police were mobilised to control the crowd that had gathered in Times Square. In Australia, which still had many service personnel fighting the war in the Far East and the Pacific, there were celebrations too, and church services.
Back in Britain, there were also those who were weary and grieving, and in a more sombre and reflective mood, who preferred to attend one of the many thanksgiving church services that took place across the nation. St. Paul’s Cathedral in London held ten consecutive services that were attended by thousands of people.
THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
Once Japan’s surrender came on August 14, it effectively marked the end of the Second World War, and Britain could begin its long road to recovery. The nation was practically bankrupt and would suffer years of post-war austerity, with record levels of unemployment and inflation. Clothes rationing wouldn’t stop until 1949 and food rationing not until 1954. The euphoria of V-E Day must have been very far from people’s minds while the ‘toil and effort’ that Churchill had spoken of in his speech was very much their reality.
A GLOBAL CALL FOR PEACE
This year is the 75th anniversary of V-E Day and the UK is marking it with a national public holiday. A vast range of commemorative events had been organised throughout the celebratory weekend, but sadly most are are now being cancelled as a result of another global crisis – the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
It is hoped that those activities that can take place from a safe distance will go ahead such as A Cry for Peace Around the World, whereby people in positions of public duty or elected members of a community will ‘cry out’ the same statement for peace at the same time, from all manner of locations around the world. Of particular note are the four scouts who will undertake the ‘cry’ from the four highest peaks in the United Kingdom, in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.