How a war-weary nation came together for VE Day

Yahoo

05-05-2025

At the start of May 1945, the Second World War was all but over.
The Allied Forces had been circling Nazi Germany from all sides for months, while Adolf Hitler had killed himself in his bunker on April 30.
News of the German surrender was eagerly anticipated across the UK in the days leading up to VE Day.
Many had already draped their houses with bunting and bought Union flags for the coming celebrations, while a team of bell ringers was on hand at St Paul's Cathedral ready to mark the occasion.
British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery accepted the unconditional surrender of German forces in the Netherlands, north-west Germany and Denmark from a German delegation on May 4.
Then, in the early hours of May 7 at his headquarters in Reims, France, US Commander General Dwight Eisenhower accepted Germany's unconditional surrender of all its forces, with active operations to cease by 11.01pm the following day.
It marked the end of six years of bloodshed in Europe which left 382,700 British Armed Forces members and 67,100 civilians dead.
The BBC interrupted its scheduled programming with a news flash announcing that VE Day, a national holiday, would take place the following day, while the announcement was broadcast over the radio late in the day.
British people began to rejoice straight away rather than wait for the official celebration.
Bells rang out across the country, tug boats on the River Thames sounded their horns and planes overhead performed victory rolls.
In the streets people began dancing and lighting bonfires, with pubs packed full of revellers.
On the day itself, May 8, parades, street parties and various other events were held across the country while some attended church to give their thanks.
Commemorative items including VE Day teacups were produced in time for the celebrations, and some restaurants had special 'victory' menus.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave his radio broadcast to the nation at 3pm from the War Cabinet Office, declaring that the war was over in Europe. His voice was relayed over loudspeakers in Trafalgar Square.
Shortly afterwards, King George VI, the Queen and princesses Margaret and Elizabeth appeared on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to join the celebrations and wave to the swelling crowds outside the royal residence and down the Mall.
It would be the first of eight appearances by the King and Queen that day, and at 5.30pm they were joined by Churchill himself on the balcony.
Britain's wartime leader later gave an impromptu speech from a balcony in the Ministry of Health in Whitehall, telling the huge crowd: 'This is your victory … My dear friends, this is your hour.
'This is not victory of a party or of any class. It's a victory of the great British nation as a whole.'
In the evening, Princess Elizabeth – the future queen, then aged 19 – and Princess Margaret slipped out of Buckingham Palace and joined in the celebrations, dancing the conga through the Ritz Hotel before joining the crowds outside the palace.
An estimated 50,000 people were packed into Piccadilly Circus by midnight, singing songs like Roll Out The Barrel to impromptu street orchestras of accordions and barrel organs as fireworks lit the sky.
Reflecting on the day in 1985, the Queen recalled: 'My sister and I realised we couldn't see what the crowds were enjoying … so we asked my parents if we could got out and see for ourselves … After crossing Green Park we stood outside and shouted, 'We want the King', and were successful in seeing my parents on the balcony, having cheated slightly because we sent a message into the house to say we were waiting outside.
'I think it was one of the most memorable nights of my life.'
Finally, the war in Europe was over – but the war in the Far East and Pacific against continued for several more months.