VE Day

The 8th of May 1945, Victory in Europe Day, is a day etched in the memory of everyone who witnessed it. After nearly 6 years of war, Germany officially surrendered and the conflict was finally over. The unconditional surrender came after Adolf Hitler took his own life on the 30th of April as the allies surrounded Berlin and was authorized by his successor, Grand Admiral Cole Donuts.

The news that the war in Europe had ended did not come a surprise and had been anticipated back in Britain for some time as the allies advanced on in Germany. The announcement that the war was over was broadcast across the radio to British people on the evening of the 7th of May, with a news flash announcing that the day would be a national holiday and would take place the next day.

Across the Western world, millions rejoiced, relieved that years of conflict and incredible hardship were finally coming to an end. Up and down the country, millions of people took to the streets, came together to celebrate the end of the European conflict with street parties, dancing and singing. Mass crowds gathered in Trafalga Square and up the Mal to Buckingham Palace where King George V 6, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret were joined by Prime Minister Winston Churchill on the balcony of the palace before the jubilant crowds.

Princess Elizabeth and her sister also later secretly joined the celebrations in the crowds outside the palace. Princess Elizabeth, the future queen, describing it as one of the most memorable nights of my life. Despite the joy and celebration, it was a day of mixed emotions for some who mourned loved ones lost during the war and for those who worried about friends and relatives still serving overseas.

The conflict was over in Europe, but the war continued to wage in the Far East and the Pacific with many troops redeployed to fight in the east instead of coming home. The end of the war Japan came a few months later in August after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The impact of the Second World War endured long after VE Day. Millions of lives had been lost. Homes and cities were destroyed and needed to be rebuilt, and people all over Europe had been displaced by the conflict. But after years of uncertainty and living in fear, it was one day that everyone came together to celebrate the start of new beginnings.