On Tuesday, May 8th, 1945, the Allies who had been fighting the Second World War formally accepted Germany’s unconditional surrender. May 8th became known as Victory in Europe Day, or VE Day, and is still marked every year.
In this episode, host Chloe Lee is joined by Will Butler, a specialist in British society during the First and Second World Wars, to explore what that first VE Day was like, from the soldiers and medics who’d been at the frontline, to the folks at home who wanted peace — and for butter to be easily available again in British towns and cities.
Download the full episode transcript here.
Documents from The National Archives used in this episode: MEPO 2/6266, HO 45/23203, WO 171.
For more information about the records covered in this episode, look at our research guides to British Army operations in the Second World War. For help navigating our catalogue, you can watch our top-level tips on using Discovery.
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