2025 marks the 80th anniversaries of both VE Day and VJ Day.
To mark the 80th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day, both Dell Field Court and Meadowside held celebrations including a tea-party at Meadowside and a barbeque with singers and plenty of dancing involving both residents and staff. It was a joyous occasion with family and friends of residents in attendance to celebrate the day with their loved ones.
Our Comms team sat down and spoke to three residents in their nineties who were children and remember the war and specifically, VE Day.
Jessi Fox, age 90 sitting with son David featured in the video below.
Jessie remembers living near the power station in Dalmarnock, a suburb of Glasgow, experienced bombing raids by the Luftwaffe during the Clydebank Blitz on the nights of March 13-14, 1941. The Clydebank Blitz, which also affected areas in Glasgow, was a series of major bombing raids targeting industrial areas along the River Clyde. While Clydebank suffered the most in terms of casualties and destruction, Dalmarnock also experienced damage and loss of life during the raids.
Incidentally, Jessi told us that her uncle was the famous pianist George Macintyre, he played the evening’s entertainment for the 3 world leaders, Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin at the Yalta Conference at Livadia Palace, Yalta, Crimea. Watch the video below where Jessi’s son David shows us the photo of the 3 world leaders.
Matilda, 92, stayed in a Dr Barnardo’s home during the war in Worthing with her sister.
Peter Davies, 90, of Mill Hill was 10 on VE Day.
“I remember the street parties and celebrations on VE day”.
On the day, Pumpkin the pug dog stole the show, accompanied by his owner Debbie & her brother Roy who joined the celebrations at Dell Field Court.
There were also celebrations across Your Choice Barnet other services including Flower Lane and at Agatha House and Harold Court.
This week on Friday 15 August marks another milestone, VJ (Victory over Japan) Day. You might wonder why there are two dates? VE Day is Victory in Europe Day, a day nearing the end of World War Two, when fighting against Nazi Germany in Europe stopped. However, World War Two was not officially over and there was still fighting against Japan, who refused to surrender following Germany. Instead, Japan carried on fighting up until August 1945. However, the end of the war is acknowledged to be on 2 September 1945. It was this date when Japan signed their document of surrender, bringing an end to conflict in the region.
One of the key factors in Japan’s surrender was the dropping of two atomic bombs by the US, which have been recently documented marking the anniversary. The first bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, with the second dropping on Nagasaki on 9 August 1945. It is estimated 214,000 were killed, be in through immediate blast or long-term effects. The destruction left Japan reeling and weakened and shortly after, they surrendered.
This Friday, there will be a two-minute silence at midday to honour the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.
Image: Atomic bomb exploding in Hiroshima in 1945.
Editor’s view
Earlier this year I went to visit Bletchley Park, now a tourist attraction but 80 years ago was a principal site successfully code-breaking messages from the enemy, the German Enigma and Lorenz ciphers. The decoding of enemy messages significantly contributed to the Allied victory. It is remarkable to think now how much those who played a pivotal role in the war, helped pave a path for me and you to have the freedoms we have today. Let us not take this for granted and lest we forget those who served in this war, as we mark these important milestones in our history.
