A faded memory.
Posted by Big John on May 8, 2020
Today is the 75th anniversary of ‘VE Day’ (Victory in Europe). I was there, although I don’t remember much about it, as I was only six years old at the time.
However, I do have a few memories of those war years, such as the wail of air raid warning sirens, the boom of anti-aircraft guns, searchlights sweeping the skies, the drone of German V1 missiles and the question “Is it one of ours ?” whenever the sound of an aircraft engine was heard overhead. It was all part of everyday life for me; although I was a little too young to have experienced much of the fear that older children must have felt.
I have a vague memory of people celebrating and of a large bonfire burning across the street from our bomb damaged house. The fire was on an area of ruins and rubble where, once had stood ten families’ homes.
bigjohn 
Ken Cary said
Yes John I remember all the same things being also born in1939. I later found out that my mum stayed with me in Peabody when the air raid warning sirens went off rather than go to the air raid shelter. She said she would rather take this chance because she was so shy and didn,t like crowds of people! Thanks mum! But our Peabody Stamford St was untouched when all around us was death and destruction.
Big John said
NIce to hear from you Ken … Sorry, but you were held in the system as ‘spam’. My wife was evacuated to Yorkshire, but spent some time living in another ‘Peabody’ when the war ended.
Ken Cary said
The only memory I have of VE day is being held up so I could see over the crowds of people. We could see a huge firework display in the shape of the Kings head on the other side of Waterloo Bridge.
rummuser said
I have no memory at all as I was only three years old then! I however recall my parents talking about it being celebrated in Bombay where we were living then.
Joared said
Glad you and your family survived. I was young, too, when VE Day occurred. I was allowed to go to an occasional movie where they also showed news with war pictures, some pretty horrific. I was also struck by the scenes with sounds of sirens, bombs dropping, aircraft flying over — so much so, that though we had few planes flying in the skies where I lived, but when I did hear a plane I looked up with thoughts of those movie scenes and couldn’t help thinking how terrible that would have been if it was happening where I lived. I just paid tribute to this anniversary on my blog including some music I vividly recall.
Joared said
I should have added, I was living in the U.S.
Big John said
Thanks Joared .. Nice to have a comment from a “Yank”. Those young American servicemen are another memory I have of WW2. We owe a great deal to them. One of my uncles, although British, served in the 8th US Army Air Force as driver to an American general. I was the only kid in our street who knew what a Hershey Bar was .. 🙂
Ken Cary said
And what about the American GI,s in London. We all approached them with the question “Got any gum chum?” and they always gave us a soft floppy stick of their American gum. Unlike our gum that was covered in a hard sugar shell.
Virginia L Dean said
Hi John: Yes, I remember that day but not in a happy way. My family, as you know, lived outside of Boston in the U.S. and had entertained over a hundred British sailors at our house. They had brought their ships in for repairs at the Fargo Naval Base. I was happy for them but so sad to have them no longer coming to our house. (Hope all is well with you and the “one who must be obeyed”, )