Victory in Europe Day – 9 May 1945
Lincolnshire, England, May 1945. Crews of No. 463 (Lancaster) Squadron, RAAF, and No. 467 (Lancaster) Squadron, RAAF, celebrate a belated VE day in their station mess, RAF Station Waddington
On 7 May 1945, the German High Command authorised the signing of an unconditional surrender on all fronts: the Second World War in Europe was over. The surrender was to take effect at midnight on 8–9 May 1945. The following day, 8 May, was declared VE (Victory in Europe) Day, but in Australia, celebration was tempered with the knowledge that the war in the Pacific was still to be won.
Australians serving overseas joined wholeheartedly in the celebrations. While in the major Australian cities there were similar outbursts of rejoicing, overall, the mood across the country was sombre. Churches held thanksgiving services, and on 9 May 100,000 people attended the service at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. On that day, in Canberra, the editorial writer of The Canberra Times fancied that the floodlights over the Australian War Memorial stood “in bright relief against the darkness which is now passing from Europe, and soon from the entire world”.
Women join hands to celebrate VE Day marking end of World War two (II) in Europe in streets of London. England.
London streets pulsed on the evening of 8 May, 1945. Hitler was dead, the Nazis eliminated and a decade of uncertainty settled after six years of wartime fear, loss and grief. Germany had surrendered: Britain and her allies could claim total victory in Europe.
But as millions of jubilant revellers spilt into Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly, two teenage girls could only watch the action from their ivory tower. Eager not to miss out, the teenagers convinced their parents to allow them to join the jubilant crowds.
And so Princesses Elizabeth, 19, and Margaret, almost 15, slipped out of Buckingham Palace to join Victory in Europe celebrations 70 years ago.
At about 3.30pm on 8 May the princesses had joined King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to greet crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Prime Minister Winston Churchill joined their second appearance at 5.30pm. That evening, the King and Queen gave permission for the princesses to join their “gang” of about 16, escorted by a King’s Equerry, a “very correct” Royal Navy captain in pinstriped suit, bowler hat and umbrella.
In her journal entry for 8 May 1945, Princess Elizabeth noted, “PM (Winston Churchill) announced unconditional surrender. Sixteen of us went out in the crowd, cheered parents up on the balcony. Up St J’s (St James’s Street), Piccadilly, great fun.”
Princess Elizabeth wore her Auxiliary Transport Service subaltern uniform, initially with the cap pulled low over her eyes as a disguise.
On the evening of 8 May the princesses joined a public chorus chanting, “We want the King; we want the Queen”. Tipped off that his daughters were outside, the King duly appeared for the eighth time that day.
Elizabeth noted that her rare taste of freedom continued into 9 May: “Out in crowd again — Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly, Pall Mall, walked simply miles,” she noted in her diary. “Saw parents on balcony at 12.30 am — ate, partied, bed 3am!”
In 1985 the Queen recalled the joy of peace celebrations, explaining: “My sister and I realised we couldn’t see what the crowds were enjoying … so we asked my parents if we could go out and see for ourselves. After crossing Green Park we stood outside and shouted, ‘We want the King’, and were successful in seeing my parents on the balcony … it was one of the most memorable nights of my life.”
A fictional account of the royal night out on the town is the basis of British movie A Royal Night Out.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1837562/
Sydney greeted victory in Europe with a “paper snowstorm” as merrymakers at the Taxation Office pelted trams with waste paper. Prime Minister John Curtin declared 9 May a public holiday but as Australia was still at war with Japan in the Pacific, discouraged wild revelry.
Undeterred, from 4.30pm a carnival atmosphere began to bubble up in Martin Place, while at Kings Cross up to 15,000 people celebrated with bonfires, kissing contests and firecrackers.
Melbourne was more subdued, as crowds streamed along St Kilda Rd to the Shrine of Remembrance for a thanksgiving service.
Australians mark the celebrations at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance.
After almost six years of war – the deadliest period of conflict in human history – Germany had surrendered, officially ending World War II in Europe.
Today, across many European countries, 8 May is a national or public holiday and considered a day of remembrance and commemoration.
Victory in the Pacific, or VP Day, was more largely recognised by Australia on 16 August that same year, following the surrender of Japan.
Still, the role Australian Defence Forces played in Europe during World War II was undeniable, with nearly one million Australians serving in the war and some 10,000 Australians making the ultimate sacrifice. So, while some battle fronts were still to be won, many at home naturally welcomed the news of victory as it was reported in newspapers.
People partied on the streets after hearing of Germany’s surrender
The signing of papers that ended the war not only signified the end of long-standing battles and violence across Europe, but it also meant the return of servicemen to their families, liberation for some countries from their foreign occupation and more broadly, a new chapter for democracy in many European countries.
Today, like many days of significance throughout the year, VE Day is marked with memorial ceremonies and services across Australia. It remains an opportunity for veterans and their families to reflect on the legacy of those who fought in WWII and commemorate the importance of their role during the war.
All images courtesy of the Australian War Memorial.
Sources:
The Daily Telegraph 17th April 2024
Australian War Memorial
RSL Queensland
https://rslqld.org/news/latest-news/the-day-victory-arrived-in-europe
