Anniversary of VE Day, May 07-08 1945

After years of war, people knew the end was near in the European theatre. On May 02, German forces in Italy surrendered, and on May 5, 1945 German forces in western Europe had surrendered to General Montgomery who had demanded their surrender with no conditions.

Then all German forces surrendered to General Eisenhower who demanded the same unconditional surrender. This was signed in the very early hours of May 7th.  The official date of capitulation was to be May 08, but news leaked out and celebrations began throughout Europe, the UK and Canada and the US on the 7th and continued on the 8th.

Canadians who had fought in the bitter Italian campaign, had joined the theatre in northwest Europe early in 1945 and at the end the of hostilities some 200-thousand personnel of the First Canadian Army division were strung out all across Europe from Germany to the Low Countries, to Dunkirk in France.

Canada has been a critical factor in the war. The military was a formidable, heavily mechanized force whose striking power included more than a thousand artillery pieces, more than a thousand tanks, and 39 infantry battalions, each with 800 riflemen whose arms included mortars, heavy machine guns and an arsenal of hand-held weapons. In support were 19 Royal Canadian Air Force fighter and fighter-bomber squadrons – a force of over 300 fast attack and reconnaissance aircraft – that operated from airfields across northwestern Europe. In Britain there were 21 other squadrons of the Royal Canadian Air Force, including the 15 squadrons – each with 20 heavy four-engine bombers – of No 6 Group.

The RAF meanwhile was bolstered by high numbers of Canadian pilots and aircrew. For example 30 Canadians were among the 133 crews in the famous Dambusters raid. Other Canadians aircrew were involved in the destruction of the Bridge on the River Kwai.

The Royal Canadian Navy’s 250 seagoing warships, and many smaller vessels, were operating in a wide range of roles – minesweeping, troop-carrying, and convoy escort – from the Mediterranean to the Arctic Ocean and across the Atlantic. The Canadian merchant marine included more than 200 seagoing merchant vessels that operated around the world.

All told, 500 000 Canadian army, navy and air personnel served in Britain and Europe during the Second World War. At least another 100 000 served in Newfoundland (not then part of Confederation), and in eastern Canada, operating the aircraft, warships and bases that formed the North American end of the Atlantic supply lines that fuelled the war against Nazi Germany with troops, weapons, vehicles, food and industrial resources. From Canada came, oil, food, building supplies and machinery. Canada has also supplied millions of weapons, bombs, shells, planes, ships, and vehicles to other allies, and had contributed greatly to scientific advances in medicine and technology.

While in Britain and Canada there were joyous celebrations, it was not the same for the soldiers, most of whom had had to fight to the last day and were extremely weary. Most merely felt a sense of relief. Their work was not over though as
major relief efforts were undertaken to supply the starving Dutch.

However, while the war in Europe was over, the Second World War itself was not over, as Allied forces were still at war with Japan which would continue until mid August.