V is for victory
VE Day marked the start of countrywide celebrations 75 years ago. MARION McMULLEN looks at how the nation threw a party to remember
PARTY fever gripped the entire UK 75 years ago as war-time prime minister Winston Churchill announced Germany’s unconditional surrender.
Rationing was lifted on bunting, pubs were allowed to stay open and street parties were planned all over the country as May 8 was declared a public holiday for VE – Victory In Europe – Day.
The Daily Mirror reported: “Today is V-E Day – the day for which the British people had fought and endured five years, eight months and four days of war.”
The whole country erupted into a massive chorus of jubilation and celebration and people immediately took to the streets to hang bunting and mark the longed-for event in style with music and dancing.
Many dance halls even stayed open until midnight and a long conga line formed down the middle of Piccadilly in London as servicemen and laughing girls did the Lambeth Walk.
Winston Churchill was greeted by huge cheering crowds wherever he went and was treated to a rousing chorus of “For he’s a jolly good fellow” by crowds in Whitehall.
The announcement that the war in Europe had ended was broadcast on the radio on May 7, 1945, and the BBC interrupted programmes to announce that the following day would be a public holiday.
Churchill even checked with the Ministry of Food that there was enough beer around to keep the party spirit flowing as revellers gathered to celebrate and some restaurants quickly planned special victory menus.
Even some public buses were given a VE Day makeover and all licensing laws in the capital were revoked for the evening and the celebrations went on well into the small hours.
“God bless you all,” Churchill told the crowds over a loudspeaker as bonfires were lit and the pubs filled. “This is your victory,” the Prime Minister told them. “No – it’s yours,” shouted back the crowd.
Street parties and parades were quickly organised the length and breadth of the country with bagpipes in Scotland, dancing in the streets in Wales and the Midlands and bonfires in Bristol, Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester. Many buildings and boats also flew the flags of all the Allies and the lights were switched on at the Palace of Westminster once more. Celebrations were also held in America, Western Europe and Australia with the Soviet Union and New Zealand celebrating the next day. An estimated 50,000 people crowded around Piccadilly Circus to celebrate and many ended up sleeping in Trafalgar Square after the party.
But there was also a sombre note as many remembered those they had lost. St Paul’s Cathedral, which had survived the bombing Blitz, held 10 services throughout the day attended by thousands of people.
Many also headed to the bombedout ruins of Coventry Cathedral. Four services had been planned there for VE Day, but such were the huge crowds that the cathedral ended up staying open until after midnight. Many people who had relatives in the war brought bunches of flowers and placed them in vases and names were also put into a bowl by the altar.
A large-scale Victory Day Service of Thanksgiving was also held at Cathays Park in Cardiff.
In his radio broadcast to the country, Churchill told listeners: “My dear friends, this is your hour. This is not victory of a party or of any class. It’s victory of the great British nation as a whole. We were the first, in this ancient island, to draw the sword against tyranny.”
People also surged down The Mall to Buckingham Palace shouting for King George VI and the royal family who had to appear a total of eight times on the balcony of the Palace – with Churchill memorably joining them at one point – to wave to the cheering crowds.
Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret were even secretly allowed to leave Buckingham Palace escorted by palace guards and join in the celebrations and cheering outside. The future Queen later recalled the occasion as “one of the most memorable nights of my life” and said “we stood outside and shouted ‘We want the King’”. The young princess was also greeted by crowds when she toured the East End of London the following day.
George VI’s speech was relayed by loudspeaker to the crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square. He told them: “There is great comfort in the thought that the years of darkness and danger in which the children of our country have grown up are over and, please God, forever. We shall have failed and the blood of our dearest will have flowed in vain if the victory which they died to win does not lead to a lasting peace, founded on justice and good will.”