This year marks a special celebration across the country, as communities commemorate 80 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe.
The Second World War remains the deadliest conflict in history, resulting in 70 to 85 million deaths across the globe.
Victory in Europe Day, also known as VE Day, celebrates the formal acceptance by the Allies of Germany’s surrender on Tuesday, May 8, 1945. This year marks 80 years since that very day.
Life in Hertfordshire during the conflict
Hertfordshire had a prominent role during the war, as a place welcoming evacuees, a base for the manufacturing of bomber planes, and where injured soldiers were taken for treatment.
Bushey Hall was requisitioned for RAF Fighter Command and handed over to the US Air Force, where it became the headquarters of VIII Air Force Fighter Command.
John Dickinson and Co Ltd, which launched its first paper mill in Apsley, produced fuel tanks for long range fighter aircraft, cannon shells, aircraft fuel pumps, magnetos and spark plugs. The company also made foil strips used by the RAF to blind enemy radar.
Watford was transformed during the Second World War. Some residents may recall the V1 flying bomb that killed 37 people on Sandringham Road on July 30, 1944. The bomb injured 64 people, wiped out 50 homes, and caused significant damage to 500 other properties.
Areas such as Chorleywood and Rickmansworth were designated as reception areas for London evacuees, with many housed on the top floor of Chorleywood House.
Handley Page Limited was a British aerospace manufacturer based at Radlett Aerodrome. During the Second World War, they designed and produced the HP.52 Hampden bomber, which took part in the first British raid on Berlin in March 1940.
During the Second World War, Leavesden Hospital in Abbots Langley was used as an emergency medical services hospital, with additional huts erected in the grounds. In 1943, it became a hospital for wounded Canadian soldiers.
The end of the Second World War
Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi party and the central perpetrator of the Holocaust, died by suicide on April 30, 1945, during the Battle of Berlin. This resulted in Germany’s surrender.
Celebrations erupted across the West, with civilians flocking to the streets to mark the end of the European part of the war. This marked the first-ever VE Day.
However, the Second World War didn’t end until September 2, 1945, following the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, a written agreement that marked the official end of six years of destruction.
Marking VE Day – 80 years later
Dacorum Borough Council is inviting residents to host street parties on Thursday, May 8, and Abbots Langley Parish Council and the Back to the Front Project are hosting events throughout the year to celebrate the occasion. You can find out more at www.shorturl.at/QW0Ax
Three Rivers District Council will also be hosting events including a V80 Picnic in the Park and VJ Day Exhibition & Beacon Lighting. You can find out more at www.shorturl.at/q2Lta
On Saturday, May 10, St Albans Cathedral will be hosting its own VE Day celebrations and dance in the nave. You can read more at www.shorturl.at/38b1T
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