'The lights came on again all over York' - incredible photos of York on VE Day
'The lights came on again all over York' - incredible photos of York on VE Day
Photograph taken by TE BEAN of Lendal Bridge lit up to mark VE Day
VE Day1945: 'The lights came on again all over York' - peace was here at last, writes MAXINE GORDON
LENDAL Bridge in lights, Union flags flying in Goodramgate, street parties across the city.
This is how York looked on VE Day - 80 years ago today.
Our archive photos take us back to that time, when the hardship and heartache of six years of war came to an end.
In Europe at least.
Celebrating VE Day in York - lights on Lendal Bridge and flags in Goodramgate It would be several more weeks until Japan surrendered and the Second World War was truly and finally over.
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This meant the end of living in fear of bombs falling on York, of having to take cover in air raid shelters, of life on hold.
One of the first big changes people in York witnessed was light at night.
Streetlights came on again and people ditched their dark blackout curtains.
As one of our photos shows, Lendal Bridge was lit up at night.
It felt like a festival or carnival. Something special - a new bright world, far removed from the dark hours of wartime.
As Victory in Europe was claimed, hundreds assembled in Exhibition Square in the centre of York.
VE Day party in Clement Street, York They sang and danced and anyone, man or woman in uniform, was an instant hero.
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People recall linking arms and singing the Lambeth Walk, forming a conga line; there was laughter, and singing.
Life could start again.
Share your nostalgia memories
If you love delving into York's past and seeing photos and reading stories from yesteryear then make sure you check The Press every day for its regular nostalgia stories. And don't miss our eight-page nostalgia supplement every Wednesday in the paper.
We also have more than 3,000 members in our online nostalgia group on Facebook, Why We Love York - Memories. It is free to join and you will find us at www.facebook.com/groups/yorknostalgia/.
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It would be great to see your old photos of York - and they don't have to be from centuries ago. We all love seeing old photos from our recent past, and some of our more popular stories with readers date from the 70s, 80s and 90s.
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The aftermath of the battle between the 28th Division and German troops in Gathemo, France, in August, 1944. (Screenshot from National Archives film) The liberation of Gathemo, France, won't be found in many history books about the Second World War. After all, it was one town among hundreds on a map that needed to be taken from the occupying Germans in the slow, methodical, grinding Battle of Normandy that began on D-Day: June 6, 1944. That's when the Allies landed soldiers on five beaches and airborne troops dropped behind enemy lines as part of the war to wrest Europe from Nazi Germany. Public perception may condense what happened after the invasion into simple terms: The Allies landed, established a beachhead and the fight was over. Tragically, it did not all end in a matter of days and the cost was steep – nearly 210,000 Allied casualties, and around 400,000 German losses. 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Letters from his parents informing him about the loss weren't reaching him, so tragically, he kept asking about his brother when writing home. Like most families at the time, the Nadolnys didn't know much about Jerome's service, except that he died in France. A family member has the Purple Heart that was issued posthumously. 'I've learned a lot about my grandpa, Leo, because in about 2001, I sent a letter to the government saying, 'As part of the Freedom of Information Act, I was wondering if you could share his military file.' And they did,' he said. The packet arrived about 18 months later and provided him with a window into his grandfather's wartime experiences – where he fought, the battles he survived and even the ships he was transported on in the Pacific. 'It kind of led me down this path about his brother Jerome, that we knew nothing about. We just literally had a picture of his cross on his grave over in Brittany (France), and a picture of him. That's all my dad ever had,' he said. 'He just knew that, 'Hey, I was named after my uncle who I never met who was killed over in France.'' About a decade ago, he wrote the government again with a request for Jerome's military file. He wasn't as fortunate this time around. The records were believed to have been destroyed in a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis in 1973. It was one of up to 18 million service members' files lost. He did receive some basic information: Jerome's draft enrollment card and where he was originally buried in France before his remains were repatriated in the Brittany American Cemetery. Another key detail came from a picture of Jerome's grave marker. He served in the 109th Infantry Regiment, as part of the 28th Infantry Division. Prior to the war, the 28th was a Pennsylvania National Guard unit based at Fort Indiantown Gap in Lebanon County. It was nationalized by the federal government in February 1941. 'I just started kind of looking into that unit in that division,' Nadolny said. 'A friend said, 'Hey man, you're kind of at a dead end with this research on your great uncle. You should look at a 28th Infantry Facebook group or a family group, because you're not going to get anything more from the government.'' So in the group, he ended up in touch with a Frenchman, Christophe Clement, who works in logistics. But, his real passion is World War II history. When he was 15 or 16, he would ride his bike from cemetery to cemetery to make sure the graves of Allied soldiers were well kept. He's studied in Canada to be a historical adviser and volunteers with the Mike Pride Mobile Museum. Clement's Facebook page is filled with pictures and videos – historical and current – of his efforts to keep the memory of Allied soldiers alive. But, he has always felt a connection to the men wearing the keystone symbol on their uniforms and helmets. His hometown of Senlis was liberated by the division. During WWI, a soldier from the 28th died there and another five were killed in the same area during the second worldwide conflict. Clement connected Nadolny with a retired lieutenant colonel from the 28th – Corey Angell, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and who has a passion for documenting the history of his beloved unit. Angell soon was able to add a few more pieces to the puzzle for Nadolny – Jerome's company, his death from a gunshot wound and how he was identified by his paybook. 'So, they kind of started filling in just some of the blanks,' Nadolny said. 'And all I ever was doing for the last 15 years was just learning a little bit more about my family history.' Clement had an idea after corresponding with Angell and Nadolny – to build a memorial to the 28th's fallen in the nondescript town of Gathemo in Normandy. The idea blew Nadolny's mind. He figured his great-uncle was just a typical grunt doing his job. After all, he wasn't part of the D-Day landings or some super soldier that earned a chestful of medals. 'He's just another guy. He came after the invasion, and was killed very early in – Aug. 12,' he said. 'Nothing heroic about it.' Nadolny didn't want his relative to be singled out, so Clement did some digging and learned the names of eight other members of the 28th who were killed in the fight to liberate the townspeople from four years of German occupation. 'When you search for information about soldiers or about combat actions or whatever, it really is like a police inquiry,' Clement said, speaking through a translator. Clement is an old pro at working to honor the memory of Allied soldiers who paid the ultimate price on French soil. About a dozen years ago, he started working to create monuments to members of the 28th around his part of France. He will turn 40 on Saturday, the same day as the ceremony, which will have special significance because Clement says it will be the last monument he helps build. Organizing the tributes is becoming increasingly complicated, said Clement, who has worked to preserve the memory of 15 members of the Bloody Bucket who were killed in France during the world wars and an estimated 400 other Allied soldiers. The 28th Infantry Division didn't enter the conflict until about a month-and-half after D-Day – July 22, 1944 – and landed at Omaha Beach. At that point, the Allies were building momentum toward a breakout inland. The division found itself in hedgerow country (known to the French as 'bocage'). The fighting across the terrain – made up of farm fields broken up by a series of overgrown hedges and trees that towered above walls of dirt that could reach up to six feet in height— was slow, brutal and hindered any sustained advance. Six days after arriving on French soil, the 28th suffered its first casualty when an officer was seriously wounded. But its biggest test to come was in Gathemo, beginning on Aug. 7. 'The 28th Division troops got their first experience in hedgerow warfare during the fighting at Percy and Hill 210, but they faced a far more intense test a week later at Gathemo and Hill 288, just outside the town,' said Walter Zapotoczny an author, Army veteran, former command historian of the 28th Infantry Division and president of the 28th Infantry Division Association. Jerome Nadolny and his fellow soldiers in the 109th regiment were among the first American troops moving toward the town around 6:30 a.m. Waiting for them, according to Zapotoczny, was at least half of the German 84th Infantry Division, an 88-mm anti-tank battalion, the 84th Division artillery and other enemy forces. After hours of heaving fighting and nightfall approaching, three battalions of the 28th dug in – without much forward progress. But, the Germans weren't done. As the Allies had learned through Africa, Sicily, and Italy, their enemy utilized the counterattack as a favored tactic. Major Paul F. Gaynor, who was commanding the regimental anti-tank company described what happened next: Three German tanks accompanied by more than 100 infantrymen came out of Gathemo. The tanks were equipped with searchlights which were used to illuminate the area where the men were digging in. Direct fire from the tanks' guns and machine guns at ranges of 60 to 75 yards caused heavy casualties. The accompanying infantrymen, who were equipped with a large number of automatic weapons, took advantage of the confusion. Bazookas were quickly brought into action (by U.S, troops)….the tanks and their infantry support withdrew to Gathemo upon meeting this resistance.' The next day didn't yield much gain in ground. The 28th advanced another 300 to 400 yards. The Germans may have been in retreat, but continued to fight tenaciously. It wouldn't be until the morning of Aug. 10 that American troops entered the town, and by the afternoon Gathemo was liberated. 'The battle of Gathemo caused the greatest losses and the most resistance up to that point in the 28th Division's experience,' Zapotoczny added, 'It was at Gathemo that the 28th Division endured its most brutal battle of the Northern France campaign.' The cost in and around Gathemo was the lives of nine members of the 28th, including three from Pennsylvania: An estimated 235 men were wounded. On Aug. 19, the 77-day Battle of Normandy came to an end with the Germans in full retreat and tens of thousands captured when the Falaise pocket was closed by Allied troops. 'Although not directly involved in the fiercest fighting at Chambois, where Polish and Canadian forces sealed the pocket, the 28th Division's aggressive advance helped prevent German units from escaping to the east or regrouping, effectively pressing the western and southern flanks of the pocket,' Zapotoczny said. A mere 10 days after the German defense of Normandy collapsed, the men of the Bloody Bucket were taking part in the liberation day parade throughout Paris. As plans for the dedication ceremony took shape, Cory Angell, the retired 28th Division officer, continued to try to reach as many families of the nine soldiers killed in Gathemo as possible to give them a chance to attend in-person or watch it online. He spends his spare time researching photos and videos throughout history of the men and women who served in the country's oldest Army division. 'We're kind of a small group, right? A lot of people just retire and move on. There's some of us that are just diehards and I'm one of them,' Angell said. 'I'm an old soldier, retired from the division which I grew up with. Really, the beginning and end of my career was in the division wearing the keystone patch.' Since Pvt. Irwin S. Fox was from Pittsburgh, he turned his attention to trying to find his relatives. Military records show Fox enlisted in the Army on Jan. 9, 1944, just months before the invasion. He was assigned to the 110th Infantry Regiment with the 28th Division. Angell started by Googling the names of the nine soldiers. With Fox, he was able to make a connection to Pittsburgh. He then reached out to the Heinz History Center, who put him in touch with the Pittsburgh Jewish Genealogy Society. 'The guy said, 'Last I can tell, that family moved to Columbus, Ohio. Let me put you in touch with a guy for Jewish history in Columbus, Ohio.' And that's how they go, 'Yeah, we got him. Here's her phone number.'' Soon, he was on the phone with Evelyn Fox Weiner, Irwin's 89-year-old niece. 'What was a real joy to me and I hope that all those that are involved can really appreciate it when we do find the family members, the three that we found have been amazed and thrilled,' Angell said. 'People are like, 'What? You're kidding me.'' Fox was a first-generation American. His grandfather was from Ukraine and his grandmother grew up in Latvia. He graduated from Schenley High School in Pittsburgh's North Oakland neighborhood. His mom, dad, sister and brother eventually moved to Squirrel Hill. He was married to Josephine Greenberg. A picture from 1944 shows a striking couple – Josephine sporting a knee-length skirt and a clean-shaven Irwin in uniform with his right arm casually, but firmly around her hip. He was 29 when he died in combat. 'He was very loving and nice,' said Weiner. 'He was revered enough that my family had another son who was named after him.' His namesake, Irwin S. Fox, is 77-years-old and lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife. He didn't know much about his uncle until about 1964, when he came across some old photos. 'All I knew was that he was killed shortly after D-Day. I didn't know any of the details until I saw the gravestone,' Fox said. The headstone is marked with his uncle's date of death, Aug. 13, 1944. 'I just knew from history that he was in hedgerow country in France.' Irwin Fox and his wife recorded a message on a record to his parents, after Passover in the spring of 1944. The audio and photos were provided to the Capital-Star by his namesake, Irwin S. Fox. (Audio slideshow produced by Tim Lambert) Fox's death in Gathemo hit the family hard and Weiner isn't sure her grandmother ever recovered from the loss of her youngest child. 'I remember the Blue Star in the window in their apartment and their home at that time, if you had somebody in the service, it was a small banner,' said Weiner, who still has the telegram from the War Department informing the family of his death. 'Then my grandmother became a Gold Star mother after he was killed.' When the war was over, families had to decide whether to bring the remains of their loved ones home or whether they would remain buried in Europe. Fox's mother chose to have his body returned to the U.S. In March 1949, he was buried at Shaare Torah Cemetery in Whitehall in Allegheny County. A family photo dated Sept. 15, 1964, shows his mother standing in front of his grave marked by an American flag. Her graying hair peeks out from her yellow headscarf and she's wearing a long, black coat. Her hands are clasped and her face is grief-stricken. 'I think that's the most poignant picture I have,' Irwin Fox said. The family is grateful to have learned a little bit more about Irwin's short time in France, but will not be able to make the ceremony. 'It meant enough, and Irwin was revered enough, then when we found out about it, which was only two weeks ago, that there were 15 members of our family that were ready to go to France, really, to be there at that dedication, that's how quickly we all wanted to be there to honor and to share what we could with him,' Weiner said. 'Due to logistics and complications due to travel, it's not happening. We all revered Irwin's service to the United States and what he did and the sacrifice that he made. It totally changed several generations.' She and Irwin are touched by the gesture of the people of Gathemo. 'The people actually cared what Americans did and the sacrifice they made (It) had an effect on the world. That is wonderful,' Irwin said. 'It kind of renews in me to want to make a difference in the world.' Weiner said it's gratifying that the town is remembering the soldiers who died to liberate it from the Germans. 'It never replaces a life, but does it give hope or meaning or set something up for generations to come,' she said. The next puzzle piece was tracking down another fallen soldier with Pennsylvania connections. Not much is known about Pfc. Merritt Boyle's military service. He was from Chinchilla, Lackawanna County, and served in the 109th Infantry Regiment of the 28th Infantry Division. He's buried at the Shady Lane Cemetery in Dixon City. Angell had a lead on another namesake – 53-year-old Merrit Boyle of Old Forge,, who trains athletes, owns a gym and does life coaching. It turns out, though, that Merrit doesn't really answer his phone. So Angell reached out to the 109th Infantry Regiment Association in Scranton and one of their members just showed up at Boyle's doorstep. 'I came back from walking my dogs and I locked both doors and I'm setting up my schedule for the day and I heard a banging on the back door. I'm like, 'Who the hell is banging on my back door?'' he said. So, I'm looking at him and he said, 'Are you Merrit?'' The two talked for about 90 minutes about the division, about where Merritt was killed and the upcoming ceremony. The talk started to fill in some blanks for the younger Boyle. He had heard some stories about the man he was named after – like how he loved his country and was only in France a short time before his death. Like, how his grandmother, Marjorie, who was Merritt's mother, asked her daughter, Mary, to name one of her children after her fallen son. 'They weren't planning on having another kid. I'm the youngest by six years, so I was kind of like a surprise,' he said. 'Marjorie went to my mom and said, 'Look, it would mean a lot for me to keep his legacy alive,' because Merritt was a very special person to her. You could tell just from talking to her, telling me stories, and I remember sleeping over at her house and she'd be telling me great stories on how he was always into trouble. Video of tank crews and members of the 28th Infantry Division in an around Gathemo, France, during the Battle of Normandy in August 1944. (From the National Archives) The twist is they spelled his name wrong on his birth certificate. As his namesake, he has one 'T' in his name. 'I love that I have that legacy. I've always felt a connection to him when I pray at night, I always have that connection that there's someone watching me,' Boyle said. 'That's why it was such a rewarding experience to find out a little bit more of his history and I learned a lot from talking to many people that were very helpful and getting me up to pace with some of the details of where he was and what happened.' Boyle said his uncle didn't get a chance to live his life. 'I feel him live through me in many regards. … That I was named after him and (in) his honor and that just hearing how they spoke of him, it made me want to do better,' he said. Merrit does have a wooden carving Boyle made when he was in service and the flag that was put over his coffin when his remains were returned to Pennsylvania. He is grateful to know his uncle's memory will live on in the land where he fell. 'We kind of sometimes today get caught up in the politics and the cynicism a lot of times of Republican or Democrat, all this kind of stuff. To see 80 years later that there's still appreciation for what those great men did gives such a rewarding feeling,' he said. Tomorrow, read about Shaun Nadolny's trip of a lifetime, as Gathemo prepares to pay tribute to the 28th Division and the men who died to liberate it. If you would like to watch Saturday's dedication ceremony, it is set to begin at 5:00 a.m. EST and will be livestreamed on the Mike Pride Museum YouTube channel: SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
