{"id":4750,"date":"2025-05-06T13:17:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T12:17:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/?p=4750"},"modified":"2025-05-08T08:42:45","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T07:42:45","slug":"ve-day-80-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/2025\/05\/06\/ve-day-80-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"VE DAY 80"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thursday 8th<\/sup> May 2025 \u2013 VE DAY 80.<\/h1>\n

VE Day (also known as Liberation Day, Victory Day, or Victory over Fascism Day) is celebrated across Europe with public holidays and national observances. It marks the 80th<\/sup> anniversary of the day of formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany\u2019s unconditional surrender. In the UK, while it is not a public holiday, the day is marked with events happening across the nation, including street parties and community celebrations, military processions, and a service of remembrance at Westminster Abbey.<\/p>\n

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David Low, The nightmare passes, Evening Standard, 08 May 1945 (LSE1228a) \u00a9Associated Newspapers Ltd<\/p><\/div>\n

Wartime context<\/h1>\n

After almost 6 years of conflict, Adolf Hitler had taken his own life on 30 April 1945 during the battle of Berlin, in which the Red Army of the Soviet Union were gradually taking control of the city. Hitler’s successor, Reichspr\u00e4sident Karl D\u00f6nitz, authorised and signed the German Instrument of Surrender in Berlin at 22:43 local time on 8th<\/sup> May 1945.<\/p>\n

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Sidney ‘George’ Strube, “His last territorial claim”, Daily Express, 02 May 1945. (GS0703) \u00a9 Express Syndication Ltd<\/p><\/div>\n

On issue of this surrender, celebrations erupted across the Western world, particularly in the UK, North America and the USSR. In London King George VI, his family, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Churchill continued to Westminster, where he addressed the nation saying \u201cGod Bless you all. This is our victory. In our long history, we have never seen a greater day than this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Listen to Churchill\u2019s victory speech (YouTube link): Churchill\u2019s victory speech and Red Arrows flypast – VE Day 75 (BBC)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

However, this day was not a complete end to the conflict. The war against Japan was still underway with Chinese and American forces engaged in action. In July, American, British and Chinese governments continued to demand surrender from Japan, which they rejected.<\/p>\n

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David Low, “Baby play with nice ball?”, Evening Standard, 09 Aug 1945 (LSE1258) \u00a9Associated Newspapers Ltd<\/p><\/div>\n

In August 1945 the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Soviets declared war on Japan, invading Japanese-held Manchuria. These two events persuaded the Imperial Army leaders to accept the terms of surrender on 15th August 1945 (VJ Day).<\/p>\n

Watch footage of the atomic bomb attack and its aftermath (YouTube link): Hiroshima: 75th anniversary of the atomic bomb (Telegraph)\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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David Low, Interminable finale, Evening Standard, 14 Aug 1945 (DL2450) \u00a9Associated Newspapers Ltd<\/p><\/div>\n

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Illingworth, Leslie Gilbert, ‘Isn’t your way out hara-kiri?’, Daily Mail, 13 Aug 1945 (ILW0958) \u00a9Associated Newspapers Ltd.<\/p><\/div>\n

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VE Day, 8th<\/sup> May 1945<\/h1>\n

On the evening of 7th<\/sup> May 1945 an announcement was made via news flash that VE Day (8th<\/sup> May) would be a national holiday. People gathered throughout London to celebrate. In Trafalgar Square mass crowds gathered, making their way up the Mall to Buckingham Palace hoping to catch a glimpse of the Royal Family during one of their eight appearances on the famous balcony that day.<\/p>\n

This letter in Punch, signed by \u2018H.F.E\u2019, gives a comical report on one man\u2019s journey into London to celebrate on VE Day. It\u2019s author, Humphry Francis Ellis, first appeared in Punch in 1933 and became it\u2019s literary and deputy editor in 1949.<\/p>\n

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Punch, \u201cReport on VE day\u201d, May 16 1945, p412-3.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The dragon : a paper for the Buffs and men of Kent, 1945 (F22891600) \u00a9University of Kent<\/p><\/div>\n

The Dragon was a serial magazine created by the Royal East Kent Regiment of the Queen\u2019s Own Buffs. It was published from 1886-1961. This edition from May 1945 features a statement from Major General Scarlett, writing on behalf of the Regiment about the end of the war. This edition also includes correspondence, notices of births marriages and deaths, notice of awards given to serving members (including the Military Cross and Military Medal), lists of Prisoners of War who have returned home, updates from ongoing campaigns in Italy and Burma, and some sporting updates.<\/p>\n

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Service of Thanksgiving \u2013 VE Day (BUFFS\/WHI\/HF)<\/p><\/div>\n

In Westminster Abbey short services of \u2018thanksgiving for victory\u2019 were held every hour from 9am until 10pm, with an estimated 25,000 people attending.<\/p>\n

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This Order of Service was published by Cambridge University Press in 1945, and contains the preaching notes of a sermon to be given during the service. This version has been annotated in places by an unknown hand, including the insertion of an additional line after the Lords Prayer, remembering those still fighting in the War against Japan.\"\"In Whitehall, crowds awaited Prime Minister Winston Churchill who addressed them from the balcony of the Ministry of Health building. Others gathered outside the Houses of Parliament in Parliament Square, where Churchill\u2019s address was played over loudspeaker.<\/p>\n

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NEB [Ronald Niebour], “Just one more for the old family album sir”, Daily Mail, 08 May 1945 (NEB0247) \u00a9Associated Newspapers<\/p><\/div>See more about the days celebrations here<\/strong>:\u00a0Imperial War Museum, What You Need To Know About\u00a0VE Day.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Continuing conflict and life back home<\/h1>\n

Of course, there were some who were still serving across Europe and in the conflict in East Asia and the Pacific on 8th<\/sup> May 1945, and others who remained Prisoners of War or were yet to return home. Troops held their own celebrations across Europe, while others continued to fight. Soldiers remained abroad to support peacekeeping, liberation and other post-war activities. They helped communities find food and shelter, and continued to attempt to bring to justice to those guilty of war crimes.<\/p>\n

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Giles; Ronald Carl, “And now for England – and a basin full of post-war planning”, Sunday Express, 13 May 1945 (CG\/2\/5\/1311 – GAP2056) \u00a9Express Syndication Ltd<\/p><\/div>\n

Carl Giles was a popular Daily Express cartoonist, first joining them in October 1943. In 1945 he was appointed as their war cartoonist with the 2nd<\/sup> Army, during which time he drew from the front lines. Giles witnessed both the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in April 1945, and the German surrender at L\u00fcneburg Heath in May 1945. Speaking of the experience in 1992, Giles said, \u201cNot a day or night goes by even now when I don\u2019t think of Belsen\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Carl Giles, The Giles VE-Day collection : cartoons from the Daily Express, 1995 (F18096600)<\/p><\/div>\n

This book contains many of the cartoons he drew for the Daily Express during the war, alongside the front covers of that day. The back cover of the volume includes part of the front page from VE Day.<\/p>\n

Those who did eventually return home had to find a way to adjust back to civilian life, facing the many challenges that might bring.<\/p>\n

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Joseph Lee, Window Cleaners \/ “Come now, ex-Sergeant Leathers, war-time soldier, civilian window-cleaner…. brace yourself! Face your future like a man!”, Evening News, 12 Jul 1945 (JL3093) \u00a9Associated Newspapers Ltd.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Pages from ‘Every day a bonus’, Ken Clarke, 1999 (F22880600 – Buffs collection) \u00a9Ken Clarke<\/p><\/div>\n

Ken Clarke was a soldier in the British Expeditionary Force during WWII, serving from September 1939 in France. He was taken prisoner during the retreat to Dunkirk in 1940 and put into Stalag XXI-A, a German Army prisoner-of-war camp located in Ostrzesz\u00f3w in German-occupied Poland . He spent five years in Poland and East Prussia as POW NO. 1001. He was one of the\u00a0 many POWs who were forced to march westward from Poland, leaving on 19th<\/sup> February 1945, an event now referred to by many as \u201cThe March\u201d. He and his fellow soldiers were liberated by American soldiers on 2nd<\/sup> May 1945 while in D\u00fcmmerst\u00fcck,. He returned to England in a Lancaster bomber on 9th May, 1945.<\/p>\n

In these images we\u00a0 can see:<\/p>\n