75 years ago, the 8th of May 1945, was VE Day. Despite everyone using the expression, it’s important to ask what does VE Day mean? It was a celebration of Victory over Europe signalling the surrender of Nazi Germany following the fall of Berlin. Whilst the Second World War was still raging in the Pacific theatre until September, this marked the end of the conflict closer to home which had threatened the people of Britain, Europe, and the wider world for over six years of relentless hardship. Whilst countless people had minds on those lost in wartime, VE Day was not a day of mourning. It was a day of celebration, and perhaps more-so relief. A day where people could walk freely into the streets without fear of a V2 rocket exploding without a moment’s notice, and a reassurance that those fighting were coming home.
At Beyond the Point, we’ve spent years documenting and telling the lost stories of conflict on the home front and how it affected the people and places that surround us today. But today it’s time to acknowledge the past and look forward to success over adversity.
A great site to check out today is HMS Leigh; named after the naval base established on Southend Pier in WW2. It is a project setup to remember Southend’s wartime history. Take a look at their photos of wartime Southend from Southend Museum here on their Facebook page by clicking here: https://www.facebook.com/HMSLeigh/
– from HMS Leigh project
Below you can watch one of our videos pertaining to the human cost and memorialisation of WW2: