“My dear friends, this is your hour. This is not victory of a party or of any class. It’s a victory of the great British nation as a whole. We were the first, in this ancient island, to draw the sword against tyranny.”
That was the announcement made by the prime Minister Winston Churchill on 8th May 1945 to announce the end of the war in Europe.
The Blitz Kids are listening to the radio when Winston Churchill announces the big news – the war in Europe is over!
Soon, there are street parties, singing, dancing, and Union Jack flags everywhere! The trio rush to Buckingham Palace, where a huge crowd gathers to see the King, Queen, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret and even Churchill waving from the balcony.
Back home, George gets a call from Betty, who’s enjoying a huge village party with music, dressing up, and more cakes than anyone’s seen in years – maybe some rationing rules were “forgotten” for the day! Meanwhile, George’s friend Alice, who lived on the Channel Islands during the war, finally writes a letter after years of being cut off. She tells George about the German occupation, food shortages, and how strange it was to eat an orange again!
Embed from Getty ImagesGeorge writes in his journal…
“In all the excitement, it was easy to forget that VE day didn’t mark the end of whole war. Fighting in Asia continued until August when the Japanese finally surrendered. And even though we were so happy, it was bittersweet in a way. The war had cost the lives of millions and created heartache for millions more. It had destroyed our homes, towns and cities. It would take time for things to return to anything like normal – we didn’t know it then but we’d be stuck with the dreaded ration book for nearly another ten years – but at least we could leave the draughty old Anderson shelter to the foxes – and we’d made it to peace in one piece, whilst many others had not been as lucky. And what would the future hold – who knows? Whoever knows!“
Key dates…
- 1st September 1939 – Start of the war
- 26th May 1940 – Dunkirk evacuations
- 6th June 1944 – D Day landings in France
- 8th May 1945 – VE Day
- 9th May 1945 – Liberation of the Channel Islands
- 14th August 1945 – VJ or Victory over Japan Day – marks the end of World War II.
Next time: The Blitz Kids face life after the war… but things won’t be easy!
Can you spot this?
St Paul’s Gardens was originally the site of the St Paul’s School between 1884 and 1968. During World War Two, the pupils moved out and the school buildings became the headquarters of the Home Forces. It later became the headquarters of the 21st Army Group under the command of General Montgomery, who with General Dwight Eisenhower planned the invasion and liberation of German-occupied Europe, including the D-Day landings.
