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VE Day remembered

Victory in Europe Day or VE Day falls on May 8 to commemorate the official end of the Second World War in 1945.

Victory in Europe Day or VE Day falls on May 8 to commemorate the official end of the Second World War in 1945.

It was the day our Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany marking the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich.

Since Hitler had committed suicide on April 30, 1945 during the Battle of Berlin, the surrender of Germany was authorized by his replacement, President of Germany Karl Dnitz. The act of military surrender was signed on May 7 in Reims, France, and ratified on May 8 in Berlin, Germany.

More than one million people celebrated in the streets to mark the end of the war. Many hardships remained, however, including continued rationing of food and clothing, which lasted even longer in peacetime than it had during the war. In London, crowds massed in Trafalgar Square and up The Mall to Buckingham Palace, where King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, accompanied by Prime Minister Winston Churchill, appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace before cheering crowds. Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret were allowed to wander anonymously among the crowds and take part in the celebrations.

The Royal Canadian Legion in Prince George will mark the 65th anniversary with a VE Dinner at 5 p.m. Saturday at Branch 48 on Seventh Ave. Prime rib is on the menu. Tickets are $15. For more information call Bruce Gabriel at 250-562-1292 or e-mail: bgabriel@shaw.ca.

btrick@pgcitizen.ca