BY the start of May 1945, the Second World War was all but over.
The Allies had been pressing in on Nazi Germany from all sides for months, Hitler had killed himself on April 30 – and when Russian troops hoisted the Soviet flag over the German Reichstag building after the Battle for Berlin on May 2, the end was nigh.
In the days leading up to VE Day, people across the UK were eagerly anticipating news of the German surrender. The expectation was so high many had already draped houses with bunting, Union Flags at the ready for the coming celebrations.
A team of bell ringers was even on hand at St Paul’s Cathedral, such was the eager anticipation.
Finally, in the early hours of May 7, at a school house in Reims, France, where the US general Dwight Eisenhower had his headquarters, Germany signed its unconditional surrender to Allied leaders.
Active operations would cease by 11.01pm the following day, and a second surrender was signed in Berlin on May 8 to meet the demands of the Soviet Command.
The declaration marked the end of six years of bloodshed in Europe, which left 382,700 members of the British Armed Forces and 67,100 civilians dead.
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