‘It felt like freedom… it was a party like no other' – three remarkable women share their memories of VE Day 80 years on
HOME FREE 'It felt like freedom… it was a party like no other' – three remarkable women share their memories of VE Day 80 years on
AS news broke that peace had been declared on May 8, 1945, the people of Britain spontaneously took to the streets for the biggest party the country had ever seen.
And on Thursday, we will mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, when Nazi Germany formally surrendered.
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Jubilant Brits celebrate in the streets on VE Day in 1945
Credit: Alamy
In a radio broadcast, then PM Winston Churchill said: 'We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing.'
Thousands flocked to the streets of London, waving Union Flags and singing patriotic songs.
King George VI, accompanied by his daughters, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to the delight of the cheering crowds.
Today, we share the recollections of three remarkable women who were part of that momentous day eight decades ago.
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THE D-DAY HEROINE
AFTER proudly shaping history from a secret bunker in Portsmouth during the war, Marie Scott couldn't wait to join the excited VE Day throng in London.
She had been serving her country as a Royal Navy signaller, but was given special leave to travel to the capital for the extraordinary day of celebrations.
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Marie Scott served her country as a Royal Navy signaller and was based in a bunker at Portsmouth
Credit: Dan Charity
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Marie, now 98, of New Malden, Surrey, fondly recalls the atmosphere in London on VE Day
Credit: Dan Charity
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Marie, now 98, of New Malden, Surrey, fondly recalls the atmosphere.
She said: 'London was manic, everybody was absolutely overjoyed, kissing and embracing.
'And if they saw you in a uniform — as I was — you were assailed by kisses and embraces for hours.
'Some of the kisses were repulsive, others not too bad.
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Brits to get Bank Holiday bonanza this year to celebrate VE Day with star-studded concert, flypast & 4 days of events
'People had queued down the Mall and all the spots where they'd see the Royal Family or notables or celebrities.
'I remember, and I remember it well.'
After the war ended, Marie went on to work as a secretary, married Maurice, an accountant, and they had daughters Gill, 66, and Cari, 64.
She will be commemorating the fallen alongside other veterans at Westminster Abbey on Thursday.
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Marie believes it is vital to keep memories of VE Day alive.
She said: 'The veterans are becoming quite rare now.
'We're all dropping off the perch and, within a foreseeable future, there will be nobody left to talk about their participation in World War Two.
'We fought for a just cause.
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'Millions died and all that sacrifice should be honoured and respected.'
Marie, who was 18 on VE Day, added: 'It really was the best night of my life.
'A lot of time has passed, but I remember it still so clearly.
'It was full of relief, joy and happiness.'
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I don't remember if we observed the 10pm curfew, I just remember the noise. It felt like freedom...it was a party like no other
Jean Green
THE NAVAL OFFICER
JEAN GREEN and her pals partied well into the night as revellers rejoiced over the end of the conflict.
Now 102, she vividly recalls the moment she heard that peace had been declared while serving at the Royal Naval Air Station at Eastleigh, Hants, then known as HMS Raven.
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Jean Green, 102, pictured with John Eskdale, and her pals partied well into the night as revellers rejoiced over the end of the conflict
Credit: Huw Evans
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Jean vividly recalls the moment she heard that peace had been declared while serving at HMS Raven
Credit: Supplied
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Jean said: 'The news went round so fast and there was such a hum of excitement.
'Lots of us were given the day off, so we all headed to London.
'The train station was packed, but the atmosphere was amazing.
'I don't remember whether we observed our usual 10pm curfew that night, but I very much doubt it.
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'I remember the noise and how happy everyone was.
'It felt like freedom, it was a celebration like no other.'
But while Jean, from Norwich, reflects on the celebrations fondly, victory in Europe also meant a sad end to her military service.
Jean, who looked after the conscripts' rations in the regulating office, said: 'The women I shared a cabin with became some of my best friends.
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'We'd spent three years living together in a tiny space and working together, and became so close.
'Knowing we all had to go back home to our lives was tinged with sadness.
'We kept in touch but it was never the same.
'I was delighted the war ended, but it marked the end of a part of my life which I loved.'
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After the war, Jean married Bill, an airman she met while serving, and became a full-time mum to their children, Colin and Geraldine.
She will be celebrating VE Day quietly at home.
THE EVACUEE
EVACUEE Doreen Simson, 87, still treasures happy memories of being reunited with her family for VE Day.
As a little girl, she had been dispatched to rural Wales from her home in London to keep her safe from bombs blitzing the capital.
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Evacuee Doreen Simson, 87, still treasures happy memories of being reunited with her family for VE Day
Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
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A young evacuee Doreen, circled, at a kids' street party
Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
She said: 'I came back to London and everybody was dressed up.
'I remember that day — it was lovely.'
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A former florist from Crawley, West Sussex, Doreen went on to marry Brian, a TV engineer.
They had a son, Lee, 64.
She will be attending the special anniversary concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Thursday.
And she agrees that it is important to mark this historic occasion.
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Reflecting on how children faced living with strangers to avoid the devastation of the war, she said: 'People forget what us evacuees gave up.
'I was crying because my brother and I had been parted.
'Could you imagine it now? No vetting.
'You're going away to catch a train.
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'Four years old, label on coat, teddy bear under arm, crying parents, screaming children.
'Strange place, strange people. 'Where's my mum? Where's my dad?'.
'The tears still flow remembering that day they took me away on a train.'
But she said of the household that took her in: 'This little cockney Londoner stayed nearly four years with them.
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'It changed my life.
'When I came back, I spoke nicely — soon lost it, though.
'My life has been enriched by the lady that took me.
'It just makes me so emotional, still.'
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