YES, it did come to an end. Perhaps as today with Covid-19 many people feared it would go on for ever.

But on May 8 1945 the Nazi regime unconditionally surrendered. Hitler was dead, many of his gang of criminals would go to the gallows at Nuremburg the following year. Germany lay in ruins, pulverised by the Red Army from the east and the British and the Americans, Canadians and French in the west. 

Winchester the city may have escaped lightly with only one raid of any significance in 1943 but thousands of its citizens served in the armed forces or had family serving. For them May 8 was the day that finally they knew their loved ones woulkd be coming home. There were still hundreds of thousands serving in the Far East against the Japanese and they day of victory would have to wait another three months until the unleashing of the atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

The celebrations took many forms over the course of the following weeks. There were the official events such as the honouring of the Hampshire Regiment, not yet with ‘Royal’ in its name, granted the freedom of the city. Also so honoured was Lt. Gen. Manton Eddy, US commander of the United States 9th Division in pre-invasion 1943-44. It was tribute to the fact that Great Britain could never have won the war without the help of the Americans (and the Soviet Union).

Others lit bonfires and let off thunder flashes, left over from the Home Guard which had been stood down months before. People luxuriated in being able to get rid of the blackout curtains after nearly six years.

And of course there were the street parties. Tables and chairs were moved into the road and people did their best with the food rations to make it a day to remember.

Thousands of gatherings were held across the nation and we are fortunate that there were people taking photos at events in Winchester, including in Hyde, Fulflood and Winnall.

We thank Hampshire Cultural Trust for making available most of these photos to us.