The VE Day 75th anniversary has been made a bank holiday here in the UK. With lockdown in force, much has been cancelled... the street parties, the vintage singers who had been fully booked for a year or more. People are actually going for it, nonetheless. Bunting is going up around the roads, flags - there's a Royal Marines flag flying just a few doors down. Tables and chairs (with tablecloths) are appearing on front lawns. The best china will be coming out. The sun is shining. Street parties, in lockdown, with social distancing in force. This is perhaps a little bit of history in the making too.
Whilst I was rummaging amongst my books yesterday, I stumbled across this little gem: It is dated 1941 and contains such gems as Pack up your troubles, Good Night Ladies and It's a Long way to Tipperary. It was for the American Army, so goodness knows how or why I have it... Nearly 80 years old...
I feel a sing song coming on...... My Dad taught me "You are my Sunshine" when I was little. Just thought- on VE Day my 17 yr old mum was having fun in Watford and my Dad was in Jungle Training School in India. How different their days would have been.
Raining and chilly here. A long time ago my mother said she was glad the war ended in Europe but she had to wait until VJ day to know that my father was safe.
Just watched the BBC video of he Red Arrows over London! One of the rare occasions I would sanction the use of the word "iconic"
Many years ago I used to play that song on the piano and my cousin and I would sing it right through. It used to drive my father up the wall with our caterwaulling. After he left the room we would start up again.
This is amongst quite a lot of Dad's war memorablilia - 4 pages of cartoons and jokes about the return to civilian life.
Yes, my dad was still in Burma until '46 when he came back on 'compassionate leave' and missed his dad's funeral by a couple of days. He didn't go back overseas but was transferred as a military policeman to an Italian POW camp in North Wales. Just reading through all his correspondence from the Army.
Having served all the war in England, with the RA batteries in the south-west, my father was transferred to the continent and landed on VE day. He always claimed the Germans surrendered when they knew he was coming!
My Dad used to sing a couple of army songs he knew. You won’t find them in any printed material from that era though.
My Dad was also in Burma, home by Feb '46 as I was born that November but he was recovering from TB. I have yet to discover why he was "mentioned in dispatches" the book of the Arakan campaign finishes saying 'many others' were to receive awards, he must have been one of those. As I don't have his death cert. I can't get hold of his service record. Hopefully once life gets back to normal I can do so.
My mum remembers her father coming back from the war. She and her brother were in the garden of the house they were evacuated to and she saw a ‘strange’ man in an RAF uniform watching them. Running in to tell my Nan who ran out and saw it was my granddad. My mum had only seen him once before and couldn’t remember what he had looked like and my uncle had never met him. Guess they were lucky they had a father come home. Many socially distanced parties going on round here. Hitler didn’t stop us and nor will Coronavirus. Stiff upper lip and party on everyone
We've had a lovely afternoon. Made ourselves hoarse through shouting to neighbours, but a real community spirit out there. Glenn Miller playing, bunches of flowers on the tables. Lots of laughter up and down the road. I think we all needed that. It's been a hard few months. Particularly nice seeing elderly people sitting out by themselves, enjoying the sunshine, able to be part of something bigger... yet staying safe.
I was 6mths old around VE day so cant remember what happened!! but my dad was a royal marine and on board the Norfolk at sea Mum had returned from Yorkshire to South London her brother had been killed in 1943 so guess her celebrations were a little muted . I did make some bunting put across the windows and found a red top with a white tank top! and blue trousers am watching tv now some interesting films surprising how many were taken,
Going out for our bit of exercise today, we passed people sitting outside with neighbours having a drink and a chat (at the required distance) - they all waved to us - waves were returned Lots of flags and bunting out around our estate too.
