#ve-day

HMS Cayman, a British Navy vessel named after Cayman for its part in WWII (Photo from the National Archives) (CNS): On Thursday, 8 May, the Cayman Islands will commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day at the Cayman Turtle Centre in West Bay, marking Cayman’s role in the Second World War. Although there are no surviving WWII veterans today, this territory played its part as…

Continue reading World of Tanks commemorates the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe (VE-Day) with new limited-time event

VE Day:

Tuesday, May 8, 1945

Victory in Europe Day

On April 30, 1945, Hitler committed suicide, leaving Grand Admiral Donitz, “who had been President of the Third Reich for a week” to travel to “General Eisenhower's HQ at Reims in France, and, in the presence of senior officers from Britain, America, Russia and France, surrendered unconditionally to the Western and Russian demands on 7 May 1945″ (Source).

At 3pm on May 7, Prime Minister Winston Churchill made a radio broadcast, announcing that at midnight on May 8, the war in Europe would officially be over. The war that had lasted for five years and eight months had finally drawn to a close and people celebrated in the streets. However, their day of victory was somewhat overshadowed by the fact that the war with Japan was still going strong.

All across Europe, German soldiers laid down their arms and surrendered to Allied armies. A ceasefire took place on the 7th while “more than 13,000 British POWs were released and sent back to Great Britain” (Source).

Despite their surrender, German soldiers were worried about being taken prisoner by Soviet forces and attempted eluding their grasp by making a “mass exodus to the West when the fighting in Czechoslovakia ended” (Source). They were stopped by the Soviets and approximately 2 million were taken in as prisoners. [Below: Celebrating in Time’s Square]

In Britain, citizens couldn’t wait until the morning of the 8th to start their celebration. As a result, they decorated everything with bunting and banners. They partied and danced in the streets.

“. . . All the shops had got their rosettes and tri-coloured button-holes in the windows and men putting up lengths of little pennants and flags. Till at three o'clock, the Germans announced it was all over. As if by magic, long ladders appeared, for putting up flags and streamers. A complete stranger to the situation could have felt the tenseness and feeling of expectation. Like myself, Steve [Howson, a wartime friend] has a real fear of Russia. He thinks in, say, 20 years or so, when Nazism has finally gone, Germany and not Russia will be our Allies” (Source). 

The next day crowds gathered in the streets once more. Churchill’s speech played over loudspeakers in Trafalgar Square and “an extraordinary hush [fell] over the assembled multitude” (Source). Throughout the celebrations, King George VI and the Queen appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace eight separate times while Churchill “gave an impromptu speech on the balcony of the Ministry of Health, telling the crowds, 'This is your victory!'” (Source). [Below: Churchill waves to the celebrating crowds]

Meanwhile, in the States, President Harry S. Truman announced the victory and “appointed Sunday, May 13—Mother’s Day, appropriately enough—a day of prayer for thanksgiving” (Source). Celebrating in America, was bittersweet as was President Truman’s speech:

“Our rejoicing is sobered and subdued by a supreme consciousness of the terrible price we have paid to rid the world of Hitler and his evil band. Let us not forget, my fellow Americans, the sorrow and the heartache which today abide in the homes of so many of our neighbors—neighbors whose most priceless possession has been rendered as a sacrifice to redeem our liberty … If I could give you a single watchword for the coming months, that word is work, work, and more work. We must work to finish the war. Our victory is only half over” (Source).

In fact, in many communities, authorities “attempted to subdue the celebrations, wanting to give it the occasion the solemnity they felt it deserved and reminding Americans that, as Truman said, ‘Our victory is only half over’” (Source). Despite this, celebrations broke out all over America, just as they did in Britain. People danced in the streets, church bells rang, and “thousands gathered in New York’s Times Square” (Source).

While stores were closed, schools, banks, streetcars, and factories remained open. The war was not completely over and, thus, war production could not pause. 

And back in Europe, “while soldiers, sailors, and pilots in London and New York were dancing in the streets and stealing kisses from pretty girls,” along the front lines, soldiers were equally subdued. (Source). First Lt. William Lee Preston wrote home:

“the front line troops didn’t celebrate. Most of the men merely read the story of victory from the division bulletin sent to the troops, said something like ‘I’m glad,’ and walked away. Perhaps it was a different story in their hearts, or perhaps they were too tired, or thinking of home too much, or thinking of their buddies who didn’t live to see the victory, to do much celebrating or merry making.” (Source). 

And lastly, the troops in the Pacific Theater greeted the news with “thanksgiving but there was little celebration” (Source). Now that the bulk of troops and material were no longer being sent to Europe, they could only hope that the war in Japan would be over soon as well. [Below: A Serviceman steals a kiss]