Eighty years ago, on 8 May 1945, Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) saw celebrations — a collective sigh of relief after years of sacrifice and hardship.
The Ottawa Citizen captured the jubilant mood, its front page proclaiming “Joyous Bells Of Victory Ringing Around World As Germany’s Downfall Proclaimed.” The image of the Red Ensign flying over the Peace Tower in Ottawa symbolized Canada’s significant contribution to the Allied effort.
In the UK, Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressed the nation, his voice, “natural and vigorous,” as described by Mackenzie King, Canada’s Prime Minister.
The celebrations in May 1945 were tinged with the knowledge that further sacrifices would be needed before the peace was truly global. As Churchill said in his speech ‘We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing; but let us not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead.’
The conflict in the Pacific continued, and Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day) was still months away. Canada prepared a substantial force, including an infantry division and several air force squadrons (over 24,000 men), for the planned invasion of the Japanese home islands in the fall of 1945. While the invasion did not occur due to Japan’s surrender Canadians still served in the Pacific after VE Day, including Lieutenant Robert Hampton Gray of the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve who posthumously received the Victoria Cross on 9 August 1945, for his actions off the island of Honshu.
My late father in law, who was a Lancaster bomber pilot, was on his way west by train to join the attack on Japan. His ship never left the harbour, thank God. Cheers, John